Rediscovering God’s Design for Families, in a Broken Culture

based on the sermon, “The Family of God” by Pastor R. Collins.
Click here to listen to the full message.
 
Let’s be honest -- family is under fire in today’s world. It’s not just that homes are broken; it’s that culture is working overtime to redefine what “family” even means. Turn on the TV, scroll through your feed, or check out the latest trends, and you’ll see it: dads portrayed as clueless, moms exhausted and overlooked, kids parented by screens instead of people, and marriage treated like an outdated option. But long before culture had an opinion, God had a design and He laid it out clearly in Genesis 1:26-28. 
 
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion...’ So God created man in his own image… male and female created He them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it…’”  
 
Let that sink in. You were created on purpose, with purpose, in the image of God Himself. You were born with dominion in your DNA. God didn't make a mistake with how He made us, and He didn’t stutter when He laid out His blueprint for family. His plan was for unity, fruitfulness, order, and authority. But somewhere along the way, we lost that clarity. We started trading God’s original blueprint for whatever was trending. And now? We’re seeing the fruit of that trade -- dysfunction, confusion, fatherlessness, broken homes, and identity crises. And while we’re trying to redefine the family, the truth is -- we’re also trying to redefine ourselves.
 
But here’s the good news… God hasn’t changed His mind. He’s still the author of family. And more than that, He’s still the Father who names and claims every single one of us. That brings us to Ephesians 3: 14-15:
 
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”  
 
Whether you come from a two-parent household, a single-parent home, or a generational mess -- God still calls you family. The world might define you by your past, but God defines you by His name. And in His family, there is redemption, healing, covering, and authority. That means you don’t have to repeat the cycle. You don’t have to stay broken. You don’t have to wear what happened to you. You can rebuild with God.

Here’s what we’re seeing in our world right now: 

• Only 37% of American children grow up in two-parent households. 
• Over 15 million children live in single-parent homes. 
• 43% of first marriages end in divorce. 
• Media constantly portrays fathers as weak or irrelevant. 
• And on average, adults spend 3–5 hours a day watching content—much of it undermining the family structure.

 
It’s no wonder our homes are hurting. We’re letting culture teach what only Christ can model. If kids are watching more TikTok than they are seeing truth in their homes, what version of life do you think they’ll follow? We can’t expect spiritual fruit from cultural seeds. The enemy knows this, which is why he's targeting the family unit with intensity. He doesn’t want healthy marriages. He doesn’t want present fathers. He doesn’t want Spirit-filled mothers. He doesn’t want grounded children who know their God-given identity because he knows that a united family walking in God’s authority is dangerous to the kingdom of darkness. 
 
But we don’t have to accept the brokenness. We can rebuild, starting with God at the center. 

In Genesis, God wasn’t just creating people. He was establishing the foundation for family -- His way. He blessed them, gave them purpose, and commissioned them to steward creation. That original order still stands. 
 
Here’s the truth: Your family doesn’t need perfection. It needs God. Whether your home looks like a traditional family, a blended one, a single-parent household, or something in between --God can still build something beautiful. But He must be the center. Not the screen. Not the culture. Not your timeline. God! And if your earthly family lets you down? You’re not disqualified. You still belong in the family of God.
 
There’s a young woman who can be described as smart, accomplished, thriving… but scarred. She came from a home with verbal abuse and deep wounds. But God met her. He gave her a new identity. She got baptized in Jesus’ name, filled with the Holy Ghost, and her life changed course. She didn’t let her father’s failure become her fate, because her Heavenly Father stepped in. Maybe you can relate. Maybe your story has some cracks. Maybe you’ve cried tears behind closed doors over family trauma. But you need to know this -- You’re not too far gone, and your family is not beyond repair.
God is in the restoration business. 

God’s command in Genesis 1:28 lays the foundation for His plan for humanity: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…” Multiplication requires the union of male and female -- a truth rooted in creation, not culture. Any deviation from this design, whether through the rise of same-sex unions, transgender ideology, or abortion, stands in opposition to God’s purpose for family and dominion.
 
Genesis 2 makes it clear that marriage was instituted by God, not man. God formed the woman from man’s rib and brought her to him. Marriage is not a social experiment or legal contract -- it is a divine covenant. To redefine it is to pervert God’s design.
Malachi 2:10 reminds us that we have one Father -- God. He is our source, our provider, our protector, and our corrector. In a world turning to talk shows and trends for guidance, the believer must first call on God. True family restoration begins at the altar, not on a couch with a counselor.
 
Scripture presents Zion, the church, as the mother of us all (Galatians 4:26, Psalm 87:5). The church is the womb through which spiritual birth and growth happen. As such, our spiritual family is a vital expression of God’s design. Through the church, we are nurtured, corrected, and brought into maturity.
 
Hebrews 12 reminds us that correction is evidence of sonship. A father who never disciplines his child isn’t acting in love. God, as our heavenly Father, chastens us for our growth. In the same way, earthly fathers must not provoke their children to wrath but nurture them in truth (Colossians 3:21). 1 Timothy 5:8 states that a man who fails to provide for his household is worse than an unbeliever. Biblical manhood includes responsibility—financial, emotional, and spiritual. Women may assist, but the weight of provision rests on the man’s shoulders.
 
1 Corinthians 11:3 outlines the divine structure: God → Christ → Man → Woman → Children. Submission is not about control, but about alignment with God’s divine flow. Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5 emphasize mutual responsibilities: men must love sacrificially, women must honor, and children must obey. But note -- true headship isn’t dictatorship. If a husband expects submission, he must also be submitted—to Christ and to a spiritual authority. God designed checks and balances in family leadership to prevent abuse. Sacrificial love, not domination, is the model Christ gave.
 
Parents must be cautious with their words. Toxic declarations like “you’re just like your no-good father” become curses, planting seeds of insecurity. Instead, we must speak destiny: You are chosen. You are royalty. You will succeed. This is spiritual parenting. 

Singleness is not a curse; it is a calling for some, a season for others. Paul celebrates singleness in 1 Corinthians 7 as a time of undistracted devotion to God. Whether married or single, your worth and purpose are found in Christ. The Church must affirm singles, not overlook them. 

Every force trying to dismantle family -- divorce, confusion, loneliness, rebellion --must be resisted in the Spirit. The church must rise as a united family, reflecting God’s original design. Whether single, married, widowed, or childless, you belong in the family of God. 
 
Family matters because it mattered to God first. And no matter what your story has been, you can write a new chapter with Him. Let’s build families that reflect Heaven. Let’s be bold enough to follow God’s design, even when the world pushes a different version.  

We’re family. Let’s live like it.

Heavenly Father, 
 
Thank You for creating us in Your image and for calling us into Your family. In a world full of confusion and compromise, we choose to anchor ourselves in Your truth. You are the Author of family, and we acknowledge You as the foundation of our homes. 
 
Lord, we bring our broken pieces to You -- every strained relationship, every absent father, every wounded child, every tired mother, every divided home. You see it all. And You still say, “Bring it to Me.” So here we are, God, asking You to step in. Heal the places that are hurting. Restore what’s been lost. Rebuild what’s been torn down.  
 
Help us lead our homes with grace and strength. Help us model love, patience, forgiveness, and faith. Help us to be examples, not just on Sundays, but every day. Let our homes be houses of prayer. Let our children see Your glory. Let our marriages reflect Your covenant. 
 
And Lord, for those who feel like they don’t belong, remind them that You call them by name. You welcome them. You choose them. You are their Father. We speak life over every family reading this. We declare healing. We declare unity. We declare revival in the home. And we ask, Lord, that You would take full control of our households. Let Your presence be what sets the tone. 
 
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.