Imagine with me. You are living in ancient Ephesus and the excitement that there is a letter from Paul. We all gather around in the temple to hear the words as they are read to us all. Hearing about who we are in Christ and our privilege in Christ. Then the letter turns to marriage and parenting. Two topics everyone feels like they could do so much better at.
I was listening to Charles Stanley on parenting and he started by saying, I wish i could do it all over again.
Not a lot in the bible about parenting because their society was so much different.
Didn’t want to just read a couple of verses and then talk to you about what the experts say about raising children never again referring to the Bible. Look at bible to see what is there for us.
- The Challenge
Salvation is not through osmosis. At some point we all have to make decisions for Jesus Christ, but we can create fertile ground that the word of God can take root in.
Deuteronomy 4: 9, 10 don’t forget what you have seen…pass them onto your children and grandchildren…Come before me and I will personally instruct them…they will learn to fear me and they will teach their children to fear me.
Greatest challenge is to pursue Jesus in a way that makes my children want to pursue Jesus in the same way.
2. Mirror the house
Children will mirror what goes on in the house
Want my girls to marry someone who is going to treat them the same way I treat my wife.
the framework of what they know about marriage is going to come from my marriage.
EXAMPLE: respect others, better respect my spouse.
Honor Father and mother…how do I do with authority figures in my life?
- Mouthing off about the job or the boss
- Giving our children something and don’t tell your mom.
- This teacher is so stupid.
- We can have obedience with no honor to authority and we are teaching hypocrisy.
Key Point: Model what we want to see in our children.
3. Don’t provoke
Have a clue as to how what this looks like.
1 Thessalonians 2: 11, 12 And you know that we treated you as a father treated his own children. WE pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.
Pleaded = Call to walk along side of you
Refocus to remember that they are God’s precious gifts to us.
Don’t do everything for them teach them how to fail. (EVERY LOSS IS NOT THE COACHES OR REFS FAULT)
voice in family decisions (Children involved in vacations and what we were doing.)
Cleaning and cooking and in garage let them make a mess
Encourage = Calm down
Voice of calm rather than harsh answers
The world is always ending in child’s life, you need to be a voice of calm
URGED = Give testimony to give a good report.
Speak life into your children
DO YOUR CHILDREN SEE YOUR OWN FAITH IN GOD IN ACTION?
Live lives = regulate your life make due use of opportunities
- Allow them to make their own decisions. (Mistakes) Do it all for them then they will fail.
Make most of opportunities.
- All over world is ending.
- God has raised up this generation to do his will (pour out my spirit on your sons and daughters
- Israel feared for their children in the face of the enemy and God said that they were the ones who were going to take the land.
Huge battles but David was a YOUTH when he killed goliath
Pastor of church of Ephesus is Timothy 4: 12 Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. be an example in what you say, In the way you live, in your live, your faith, and your purity.