Family Values - Week 1 Series

Many agree that we have been experiencing a values-vacuum in America.

We've been living in a permissive society where basically anything goes - and now we're reaping the results.

Crime, murder, escalating divorce rates, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual immorality are just a few of the symptoms of the moral decline.

Everybody says we need to get back to family values but nobody wants to define what those values are.

It's politically correct to believe in family values, but it's politically incorrect to get specific about what those values really are.

Here at The Point our concern is not political correctness. Our goal is to be biblically correct.

The Word of God forms the foundation of our teaching.

So, what are values?

Values - Important and lasting beliefs or ideals.

Values are those elements of your life that are vitally important to you.

They are those core beliefs which guide you to living your life in a way that is meaningful and satisfying.

Values are the standards you measure your choices by, whether you do that consciously or subconsciously.

Like a compass, values provide direction and clarity for our lives.

Values come from many sources.

You may share some of the values of the PEOPLE AROUND YOU (your family, friends, colleagues, etc.).

On a broader scale, you may pick up certain values by being a part of a SOCIAL, ETHNIC OR RELIGIOUS GROUP.

I suppose certain values can be dictated, to some extent, by your PERSONALITY.

It would be fair to say that Values emerge from a combination of background and experiences.

SOCIAL MEDIA is undoubtedly helping shape the values of a new generation.

Certain values may remain constant throughout your life, while others evolve and develop over the course of time.

Changing values can be good and changing values can be bad.

Changing values are good when they represent growth and maturity.

Changing values are bad when the represent a deterioration of or deviation from God’s standards.

That’s why THE WORD OF GOD must remain the foundational source for determining our values personally, and as families, or households of any size.

It is no secret that the MEDIA, has been a major contributor and influencer of values in American culture.

Through the media, most of us have seen the dramatic downward shift that has taken place in regard to morality, ethics, and values, in contemporary families.

A quick review of some of America’s popular TV families reveal an obvious shift in values.

Ozzie and Harriet Nelson -> the Waltons -> the Engles -> the Cosbys -> The Simpsons -> the MODERN FAMILY.

To get back to traditional family values, we've got to go back a lot further than Ozzie and Harriet to get to there.

Thousands of years ago, God gave 10 values for family living. We call them The Ten Commandments.

These are not values that are faddish.

They are not influenced by culture.

They do not come and go.

These are lasting values that have stood the test of time.

In fact, these values form the bedrock of western civilization.

They are the foundation on which our entire judicial and legal system has been built.

The Ten Commandments are commandments that come from God.

So, for the next few weeks we're going to explore how these commandments can make a positive difference in your family and mine.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

When God gave these commands, there was no expiration date.

He told us to remember them ourselves and teach them to our children.

Do your kids know the Ten Commandments?

They’re learning them right now in our Next Gen department.

We have a responsibility to teach our children the important things they need to know to live safe and productive lives.

For instance, we would all agree that it is important to teach a child not to touch a hot stove. We do so for their own good.

By the same token, we need to understand that God gave these commands to help us, not to hurt us.

They are to protect us, not to punish us.

The Ten Commandments have a positive purpose.

They are for our benefit.

And if you ignore them, you do so to your own peril.

There is always a price to pay whenever you disregard God’s commands.

You will suffer the consequences when you violate God’s clear direction.

Psychiatrists tell us we need boundaries for emotional and mental health.

These parameters in life are healthy and good.

Today we're going to discover the foundation for building a strong family.