Raising 5-12 Year Olds: Building Godly Character Series

THE BIBLICAL FAMILY: Raising 5-12 Year olds

Main Goal: Godly Character

Titus 2:11-13

INTRODUCTION:

A. If you were here last Sunday night you remember that our main focus in those early years of our children (0-5 years old) was to teach them to know that they are under authority.

1. As children under the authority they are to honor and obey their parents in the Lord, in all things

2. In so doing, there would be the rewards of things going well for them and long life.

B. As they move out of the home and into a more public arena – such as school, they will begin to come into contact with many more things and situations than simple obedience can give them guidance for.

1. Some parents will try to be the “answer man” in their child’s life by setting up a complex and never ending set of rules – but this is not the solution

- Tedd Tripp writes in Shepherding a Child’s Heart, “The problem with this approach, of course, is that it is impossible to make rules comprehensive enough to anticipate every need for direction. In addition, the adult mind is not clever enough to make rules that the child’s mind cannot circumvent.”

2. Situations will abound that have no one to say do or don’t.

3. So children must be taught to make decisions, for themselves, so to speak.

4. How do we teach them to make good decisions? – we teach and build within them good character, allowing the Spirit filled conscience to guide them accordingly.

C. I would like to read for your hearing Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; [13] Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

1. In order to raise children who possess godly character one ingredient is of the up most necessity – grace!

2. As I have been studying to formulate a family ministry plan I have bought a bunch of books and read quit a few of them.

- On my shelf is a book by Dr. Tim KimmelI have not read it yet, but I do like the title: Grace Based Parenting – the verdict is still out on the book but I do love the title!

3. God’s grace needs to be active in our lives (the parents), be seen by our children, and become active in their lives.

D. This evening I want to look at grace and how it produces good character in our children. I want to do this by looking at three key words in association with the word grace:

1. Brings

2. Teaches

3. Looks

May God help us, by His grace, to instill in our children godly character that will take them much further than their elementary school years, that is through life!

PRAY

Let us begin by looking at the first word

I. BRINGS - Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

A. Luke 6:45 gives us an interesting verse. It states A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

1. In context the Lord had been speaking to the people about loving their enemies and criticizing others

2. He told the crowd that before they could look another’s sin they needed to look at their own sin – get it right before working on someone else’s.

3. It is then that this verse comes into play concerning the fruit that is heard, or seen, in another’s life

4. What is said or done is a presentation of where the heart is.

5. So behavior is from the heart and can be broken down in to three major parts:

a. The “When” – circumstances in which the behavior occurred

b. The “What” – what was done: the things said or done

c. The “Why” – the internal heart issue that pushed or pulled the specific behavior.

d. The “when & what” are important, but the “why” is of utmost importance (the heart issue – a character issue) and needs to be dealt with

6. And since it is a heart problem, it is the grace of God that is needed to correct it.

B. As you deal with issues in a child’s life you must show him the requirements of God – the law

1. In so doing he will come to understand that he cannot meet such a high standard and that is where grace can be seen so wonderful.