Parents Who Lead By Example Series

PARENTS WHO LEAD BY EXAMPLE

I Samuel 1:9-28

(Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday, October 5th, 2025)

One day, people started to bring their children to Jesus so that he could bless them. The disciples didn't like these children interrupting Jesus so they told the people to get the children away. Jesus rebuked His Disciples and said, "Let the children come to me, and do not stop them". Then Jesus took the children in His arms and blessed them.

Jesus desires for all parents to bring their children to Him. It is a great thing when a child's parents seek to dedicate him or her to the Lord. But this is to be more than a ceremony or observance. If you truly want to dedicate your child to the Lord, you must be fully surrendered to Him yourself.

The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). There are many people who are asking "where is the fulfillment of this promise?" Their child is rebellious and away from the Lord. The issue is not that God didn’t hold up His end, the problem is that the parent did not hold up theirs.

Training up a child is more than sending them to church; in fact it involves more than bringing them to church. Training up a child involves the example that you set for your children. When they see the things of this world constantly taking you away from the things of God, it tells them that God is not a priority in your life.

If attending church, worshipping, and serving the Lord is not a priority for you, it will not be important for your children. On the other hand, if you will fully dedicate yourself to the Lord, they will see this, and it will be far more likely that they will follow in your example.

Our selected text shows us how we can lead by example. Elkanah and Hannah were parents who lived what they believed. They prayed for a child and when God blessed them with a son, they were great examples of faithfulness to the Lord. I would like to look at their story and preach a message entitled “Parents Who Lead By Example”

Before being blessed with a child, Hannah was faithful to the Lord. I believe that she would have continued to be faithful to Him even if she had never conceived a child.

There are people in this building who have begged God for years to bless them with children. For whatever reason He has not (and may never) grant that request. Though it may be difficult, it is important for you to accept God's will and remain faithful to Him.

Hannah was a woman who worshipped the Lord; her husband Elkanah worshipped him as well. We must do the same if we want to be a godly example for our children. This is a vital step in being a parent who leads by example. Notice that you must:

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO WORSHIP THE LORD

We must TEACH our children about God, but we must also SHOW them that He is to be worshipped daily. We will teach them this through:

PERSONAL WORSHIP

Hannah went to Shiloh and presented an offering to the Lord and then she went to the Tabernacle to pray; there she cried out to God and told Him of her desire to have a child. Later in this chapter we will see where Elkanah went to worship the Lord alone. Both of Samuel’s parents had a personal relationship with God and they worshipped Him independently. But they also show us the importance of:

MUTUAL WORSHIP

v19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD,

Both husband and wife rose up together for the purpose of worshipping the Lord. Much could be said about the benefits of a family worshipping together. We must have moments of individual worship in our lives, but we must worship together as well.

Worshipping personally will strengthen you; worshipping with your spouse will strengthen your marriage; and worshipping with your spouse and children will strengthen your family! Many children today are being robbed of the spiritual benefits of being raised in Church. Their family may spend time together but it is not in the house of God. Their lives are not focused on the things of God. Work, recreation, friends, scholastic events, hobbies, sports and other earthly interests all consume their time. The family never worships together because there is always something else going on.

As a parent when you forsake worship for the things of this world, you are telling your child that those activities are more important than the Lord. I must warn you that you will be held accountable. It is your responsibility to teach that child the importance of worshipping the Lord.