PARENTING PRINCIPLES
INTRODUCTION
My favorite day of the week is Sunday. Some of the best experiences
I have had is worshipping God. Also
after worshipping our God. After the services are over,
too be with my family after the services is joyful.
To worship with them and to be with them is tremendous.
After the services conclude we would eat together and enjoy each other, and the blessings of the Lord.
I did not care where we ate but it was the fellowship That was rewarding.
Worshipping God and being together with family means so much.
To be with loved ones in worship, and then together afterwards is a great blessing.
What little I know about families and parenting, I learned in a limited way with my family here on earth.
The most important things I know about families and parenting,
comes from the Lord.
PARENTS CONCERNS
III John 4 "I have no greater joy than to
hear that my children walk in truth".
A parent can have no greater joy than that of knowing their children
are faithful and serving God. If you
have faithful children in the Lord, you are the richest and most
blessed people on God's green earth.
Romans 10:1 "My hearts prayer and supplication to God for Israel is that they might be saved".
Lets think of this passage in this way. My hearts desire and prayer for my children is....?
What would you put there? My hearts desire and prayer
is that my children be pleasing and faithful in the Lord's
church, his kingdom.
I want them to grow up and love the church with all their being.
If my prayer is answered, then I will be the most
favored and joyous of all people.
My children's salvation is my top priority. My children's soul is my concern, as well as my salvation!
The best thing you can do for your home is to teach your family to love the Lord and his church.
If you can stamp this idea in their minds, they will blessed and be a blessing to you.
If the love of the Lord becomes part of their lifestyle, then
they will grow up as God desires.
A lady that had many problems with her son, would stand at the
invitation song and weep. The woman was
crying and praying that her son would be obedient, and let the
Lord save his soul.
One person prays, Lord come quickly. The woman in the building
is praying and hoping for her sons salvation.
She does not want the Lord to come, unto her son is saved and ready
to meet the Lord.
The reason she wants the Lord to postpone his coming, is that
she doesn't not want her son to be lost eternally.
Matthew 16:26 For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul.
I could say, "What is a man or woman profited if they shall gain the whole world and lose their own children ".
What I am saying is not to add to any guilt of anyone present today.
I am saying this primarily for those of you right in the midst of parenting.
You have a wonderful, one time
opportunity. You can shape, mold, and fashion the minds of your
children. You must not let this pass by.
You need to take advantage of this opportunity now.
The time will come, and the years will pass, and soon they are gone.
If the world stands, and if our children live, one day they will become
adults. One day they will wave bye to us. They
will go into their own life. They will be on their own and they must
stand on their own.
I make this appeal to you who are in the midst of parenting.
Don't lose your chance and opportunity to teach your children about
the Lord
Focus on them, and direct your children for the Lord.
Psalms 84:10 " For a day in thy courts is better than a
thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the
house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."
I tell my son this; you study hard, go to school,
get your education. But listen, you don't have to obtain a
Ph. D. degree, or become a doctor, lawyer, or an executive. I
want you to grow up faithful, love the Lord,
and be a good godly person.
You can be anything you desire and want to be, just please
be a christian.
What's wrong with our young people? The same things
that is wrong with our homes. Because our homes
produce the young people. That is a subject for another time.
We need to be giving our children good reasons to love the church.
I will give you a few today; Christ Loves the church and we should love her.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands love your wives even also as Christ hat loved the church and given himself for it."
We love the church because Jesus loves the church. That is a good enough reason isn't it!
The church is imperfect and has problems yet Christ still loves her.
Romans 5:8 "God commendeth his love towards us, that
while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
I look at it like this; If God the father, son, and spirit. loves the church with her imperfections so can I!
The church of Corinth had many problems and God still loved her.
If God loved a Corinth I can love my
local congregation.
I don't know of any local church that has as many problems as Corinth.
But they were still loved, and called
brethren and saints.
I Corinthians. 1:1 To the church of God at Corinith, Saints.
If you attended services at Corinth, you could go home discouraged,
disheartened, and disturbed and
you might have wanted to quit.
Paul said they were carnal and babies. There was strife, division and envy among them.
They were taking each other to law, abusing the Lord supper, and spiritual gifts were a problem.
If God loved a Corinith we can love this local congregation!
Understand we cannot love and support the church universal, and then despise and hate the local church.
We cannot love the church universal, without loving the local church!
We nust start out loving the local church. The brethren in the pews
with you. The people you have had
problems and differences with. The people that have obeyed the
gospel are your brethren.
We need to love the local church,
Three things will help parents raise children to love the Lord.
Jot these things down, look at these things, and think bout them.
Ask yourself if we are living up to these things.
Take this serious because your children are at stake.
RIGHT THINKING
As a Christian are we thinking as we should?
Thinking is very important. Our thinking needs to be right.
We need to think properly about the Lord's church.
Every generation has had problems in the church. We need to focus on the good things in the church.
Problems will always be in the church, because the church is people.
What are we going to think and dwell upon.
Proverbs 23:6 "As a man thinketh in his heart so
is he."
II Corinthians 10:5 "Casting down imaginations and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the
of God, and bringing into captivity, every thought unto the obedience of
Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:8 Finally brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things
are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things".
We need to dwell and focus on; good, positive and spiritual things.
Ephesians 4:23 " and be renewed in the spirit of your mind."
Sin does have to be rebuked and exposed. There are times we must say no!
Likewise, we still must be careful about the image we create in the minds of our children of the church.
Creative powers of parents draw a picture of the world in the minds
of your children.
We have a lot to do with whether our child turns out to be negative
or positive.
We see what is in the world and tell our children. We must show
them what God wants us to see.
We look at the problems in this world and might say, " Oh, what
a terrible world we live in.
I would hate to raise children in this world."
Look at the good things in the world, and above all the good things of God.
What we focus on will be the focal point of our children.
One family constantly talked about everybody. They were extremely negative.
The children they have raised will not even darken the door of the church.
Everything they said about the church, and her members was negative and critical.
God is not vicious toward us, but we have children growing up who think, God is mean and cruel in his judgment.
Some people view life as a privilege. Others see life as a endless string of problems. These two types of people are in the church.
Ira North said concerning his works and ministry; On his
farm the robins flew around and made the day pleasant.
On the same farm buzzards passed over beautiful lovely things just
to find something dead, rotting and decaying.
He said at Madison they have robins and buzzards. He said we
accomplish some things because we have a lot
of robins here.
I hope that our children turn out to be robins and not buzzards.
Right thinking starts with parents.
Right Talking
Sometimes we miss the mark and blame the school system.
The school is blamed for everything that the home has taken out also.
Bible reading and prayer are missing
from the school and that is tragic. But the prayers and Bibles
study are missing from the home also and
This is inexcusable!
If our homes teach our children prayer and Bible reading, then
the school won't undermine their faith.
Our problem is that our homes have taken God from our children, that
is why the schools have taken
God out also.
James 1:19 "So let every man b swift to hear and slow to speak".
The words we speak in the home will determine how and where our children go.
Sometimes around lunch tables, the car ride to the church. Our
kids hear us grill the elders. Roast the preacher,
and then talk about all the other members. These words from parents
make them despise the church.
Words are very powerful and potent.
They can damn or save!
James 1:21 "Receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul".
If we speak against the church and her leaders, we do terrible damage. Right talking is needed.
If you want to talk about the church, talk about the head. You won't find anything bad to say against him.
Ephesians 1:22 "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church".
Talk about the spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
Talk about the positive Godly examples that are faithful instead of the unfaithful members.
Talk about our constitution the Bible and how we should love it.
Talk about the mission of the church to save the lost.
If we talk about the church let our words be positive!
RIGHT ACTIONS
One statistic said that 70 percent of what our children learn comes from observation.
What our children see will make a lasting impact upon them all the days of their life.
So I have the responsibility to show Christ is the Lord of my life.
Galatians 2:20 " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless
I live, yet not I, but christ liveth in me: and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved
me, and gave himself for me".
My child must not see me curse God, and then come to services and sing " Oh how I love Jesus"
Love always is coupled with action.
Ephesians 5:25 Jesus loved the church and gave himself for it.
If we tell our children we love the Lord and his church then we better back it up with our lifestyle.
II Corinthians 3:2 "Ye, are our epistles, known and read of all men".
People observe us as we live our lives.
Our children see and watch how faithful we are.
We must be a consistent example for the Lord. Children need to see our lives in Christ service.
The schedules we keep shows them how much we love the Lord. Do we put christ off for appointments with the world.
Little Leagues games, work, recreation, compete with the Lord's work. Do we put the Lord first or other things?
Our children will be able to see what or priorities are.
Matthew 6:33 " Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness".
We will have to make some tough choices, but our children will know where we stand.
Our children will know how much faith we have.
It will all be worth it if our children are in the house of the Lord.
If they are faithful and dedicated Christians you will not be disappointed.
Sometimes church members drift in for a few minutes, take the Lord supper, then leave right after, and go swimming, fishing, sight-seeing, whatever.
We will reap what we sow. Galatians 6:10
We need to put first things first. We must count the cost.
You need not get mad at me. No, get glad, that I am telling you the truth. We must be consistent examples.
We must have right thinking, right talking, and right actions.
We must walk the walk, and talk the talk.
Our actions will lead our children to Christ, or run them away.
Never be so proud that you will not admit to your child you were wrong.
CONCLUSION
The best thing for your home is Jesus Christ. Are you as Christian?
Believe Jesus to be God's son, John 8:24
Repent of sins, Luke 13:3-5
Confess Christ before men, Matthew 10:32
Be baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38
Live faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10