If you have a parent, know a parent, or are a parent, then you know parenting can be incredibly difficult. Am I right?
Mark Twain: “When kids turn 13, put them in a barrel and nail the lid shut, then feed them through the knothole. When they are 16, plug the knothole.”
In this series, we’re going to be looking at three things:
- Every parent’s priority
- The unchanging principles of parenting
- Healthy discipline of a child
“A [Christian] parent’s priority is to gradually transfer a child’s dependence away from the parents until their dependence rests solely on God.” ~ Craig Groeschel
[Deuteronomy 6:1-2]
“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.”
The First Priority of a Parent is that you First Must LOVE YOUR GOD
[Deuteronomy 6:4-5]
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”
How important is your faith in the likelihood that your children will also become people of faith?
72% of kids will become active followers of Jesus if both parents were active in church
15% of kids will become active followers of Jesus if only the mom is active in church
55% of kids will become active followers of Jesus if only the dad is active in church
6% of kids will become active followers of Jesus if neither parent were active in church
The Second Priority of a Parent is that You Must LEAD YOUR FAMILY
[Deuteronomy 6:6-9]
“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. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
What does it mean to lead your family? Prioritize the right things. It’s the job of the parent to keep the kid focused on what’s most important. The unfortunate thing is that what the kid is involved in has become the most important thing to US!
King Edward VIII (Queen’s grandfather) once said, “The thing that impresses me most about America is the way the parents obey their children.”
Are you proactively leading your children or are they leading you?
Do not be more concerned with their happiness than you are their holiness!
[Proverbs 22:6]
“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”
WE initiate that craving for the things of God in the way that we parent our children!
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Application Questions
- What stood out to you from this message and why?
- What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
- What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
- How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?