YOU DON’T COMPLETE ME: RAISING KIDS WITH FAITH

March 2, 2025

BIG IDEA

“God never called you to be a perfect parent, just a faithful one.”

[Psalm 127:3-4] “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.”

• “Arrows require aim. A child without godly direction will drift aimlessly.”
• “Parents are the bow, launching their children into the future with purpose.”

3 PARENTING LIES TO REJECT

1️⃣ GOOD PARENTS RAISE PERFECT KIDS

• “When Adam & Eve had the perfect Father, they still rebelled.”
• “Instead of striving for perfection, focus on progress.”

2️⃣ GOOD PARENTS MAKE THEIR KIDS HAPPY

• “If you prioritize happiness over holiness, you’ll raise entitled children.”
• “Hearing the word ‘no’ is essential for child development.”
• “Your job isn’t to make your children happy; it’s to help them become holy.”

3️⃣ THE CHURCH’S JOB IS TO TEACH MY KIDS ABOUT GOD

• “The church gets about 52 hours a year with your children, while you get over 3,000 hours.”

[Deuteronomy 6:6-7] “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”

• “Your children will learn far more about faith by watching you than by listening to me.”

3 PRINCIPLES FOR PURPOSEFUL PARENTING

1️⃣ MODEL WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THEM

[1 Corinthians 11:1] “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

[Proverbs 20:7] “The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.”

• “WHAT IF your children only knew about God what they learned from watching you, what would they know?”
• “Before you can teach your children to follow God, you must follow Him yourself.”
• “Faith is caught more than it is taught.”
• “Feeding your kids spiritually once a week is like feeding them physically once a week and expecting them to grow strong.”
• “If we don’t disciple our kids, the culture will.”

2️⃣ SET BIBLICAL AND HEALTHY BOUNDARIES

[Proverbs 22:6] “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”

• “You don’t let your kids decide whether they should go to school, so why let them determine right from wrong?”
• “I didn’t raise them to LIKE ME at 13; I raised you to THANK ME at 30!”
• “Boundaries are for protection, not punishment.”
• “A river without banks turns into a flood—directionless and destructive.”

[Hebrews 12:11] “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward, there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

• “Discipline isn’t about control—it’s about training.”

Stages of Parenting:

• 0-7: Discipline – Establishing boundaries
• 7-13: Train – Building skills and understanding
• 13-19: Coach – Guiding independent decisions
• 19+: Mentor – Offering wisdom when invited

3️⃣ PRAY WITH AND FOR YOUR KIDS

[James 5:16] “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

• “The most powerful thing you can do for your child isn’t to provide more things, enroll them in every activity, or give them the best education—it’s to pray for them.”
• “Your kids will face challenges you can’t fix, temptations you can’t control, and struggles you can’t see coming—but God can.”
• “When they hear you thank God, they learn gratitude.”
• “When they hear you confess sin, they learn repentance.”
• “When they hear you ask for help, they learn dependence on God.”

FOUNDATION FOR PARENTING

[Psalm 127:1] “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.”

• “When we build our parenting on God’s foundation rather than cultural expectations, we create homes where children can truly flourish.”
• “Parents who seem to have it all together don’t have fewer parenting challenges than you, they just have a purpose greater than their parenting problems.”
• “Your home should be a training ground for godliness and life.”

APPLICATION

• For young children: Start faith conversations early, set loving boundaries, model faith daily.
• For teens: Keep communication open, set guardrails but allow freedom within them.
• For all parents: “The goal of parenting isn’t to raise successful kids—it’s to raise godly adults.”

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