Series: FAMILY MATTERS
Sermon: “Parental Responsibilities” (part 2)
Passage: Deut 6:6-9
- We have been talking about FAMILY and how it MATTERS
- Today…parenting…at times I have failed miserably…but I also have done some things right
- Toughest job on earth…parent
- Look at Deut 6:6-9 / Pray
CHILDREN BELONG TO GOD
- Children are entrusted to us as parents to raise…they do not belong to us
- They are a gift given to us by God
1. Educate/Teach Them
- What to teach?
- Deut 6:6,7 says we are to teach God’s commandments
- Teach them to live life IAW God’s principles found in His word
2. Train Them
- Prov 22:6 is a promise given from God
- Just as in this passage TRAIN THEM IN THE WAY THEY SHOULD GO
- If you are going to train your children, it is going to take time and effort
3. Discipline Them (Restrain and Control them)
- Remember in 1 Sam 3 Eli did not restrain his sons
- Children must be retrained, controlled, and then when out of control, disciplined
- Spank them lovingly…not in anger (I have failed at that some times)
TRANS: Let’s continue this morning as we see that a fourth parental responsibility is to…
4. Love Them
- No matter what else is going on in your child’s life, they need to know you love them
- A. Tell them often – they need to hear it
- B. Show them often – love is an action word
- Spend time with them (builds great memories)
- Germany stuff we did – horsie, t-ball, wrestle, softball, read
- Times you will be tired (turn to II Cor 12:14-15)
- C. Touch them often
- Mark 10:13-16 says about children “They brought them to Jesus that he should touch them…in vs. 16…and He took them into His arms…”
- Hugs, kissed, sit on lap, hold them, rub them, play with them
- Let’s them know you are approachable
- D. Listen/Talk to them
- Let’s them know they are important
- I get tickled at hearing them explain things (words, stories)
- Remember, children don’t want things from your love, they just want your love
TRANS: Another vital parental responsibility is we must…
5. Pray for Them
- Matt 18:18, “bind on earth/heaven…loose on earth/heaven”
- A. Pray at Bedtime (dreams, thoughts, images)
- Turn to II Cor 10:3-6
- Phil 4:8, “whatever is pure, lovely, just, good, praiseworthy…think on these things”
- B. Pray for salvation, Wisdom, full of spirit, right decisions, character, etc…
TRANS: Lastly, one of the most important aspects of parental responsibilities is we must…
6. Be the Right Example
- Cannot NOT be an example
- More things are caught than taught (values are not taught to children but caught)
- They learn more by what you do than what you say (Dad or Mom smoking/drinking/cussing)
- Old cliché, “do as I say not as I do” won’t work
- I learn some but what you say, more but what you do, but most by WHO YOU ARE!!!
- Let them see God in your life…”Fingerprints of God” (favorite songs)
- I want so bad to be my children’s hero…in every aspect of my life
- Read Poem “I’d rather see a sermon”
CONCLUSION
- Parents children are a gift from God…they belong to Him
- But He expects us to be good stewards and raise up children in His ways
- We are responsible and will be held accountable in
1. Teaching/educating them
2. Training them up to go the right way
3. Disciplining them when they go astray
4. Love Them
5. Pray for Them
6. Be the Right Example
- The family is still in, it is still the moral fabric of our society
- We need parents to quit shirking their parental responsibilities and start being the right kind of parents again
- Pray
