Raising Spiritual Champions

RAISING SPIRITUAL CHAMPIONS

June 12, 2005 Jay Davis Robison 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Popular poem several years ago: If you love something set it free If it comes back to you it is yours If it doesn’t it never was. Always uncomfortable w\poem Read new ending this week, But if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff eats your food, takes your $$, and doesn’t appear to realize you’ve set it free; you either married it or gave birth to it

Several weeks Family matters! this wk parenting gr-parenting so important alarming stats from Children’s Def Fund Marian Wright Edelman, Every day in America . . 38 Kids die violently, of that 3 neglect 13 homicide 16 shot accidentally, 6 commit suicide 5702 Children are arrested of that # 316 for violent crimes 403 for drug abuse, 5702 more tomorrow! May say if do crime do the time but consider each day 8523 Children are reported abused or neglected

Disheartening, upsetting parents may want to throw in towel But God believes in parents and grandparents today Matter of fact when Paul thinking of his r-ship to church at Thessolonica God said like a parent father or mom vs from Message Bible tips for Raising Spiritual Champions

With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step by step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life. 1 Th 2:11-12 The Message

Young student of child behavior frequently delivered lecture “10 Commandments for Parents” Married became a father. Title of lecture altered to “10 Hints for Parents.” Another kid Lecture became ‘Some Suggestions for Parents.” 3rd child. Guy stopped lecturing. Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations

Underlined words points for sermon today discuss these But remember you are RAISING ADULTS not CHILDREN All your children will ever be, they are now becoming… What you do w\them at 2, 4, 6 or 8 will determine what they will do at age 12, 18, 24, or 36, Right now, they under construction, like a new house built from the ground up. Once completed, house subjected to forces of nature wear & tear of life. Will foundation crack? or roof leak? Don’t know til get there

1. Holding Hands

Paul talking to church in Thessalonica, were being led astray said I am like a dad leading children, look at how Dads\Moms are to lead, Holding hands

Remember when you were small what did adults say Hold my hand now while we cross the street Idea of protection, and orientation to world

Few phrases in world as powerful as "I love you anyway."

11 Things Kids need to know Bill Gates Business @ The Speed of Thought, Gates says know them as lessons for life, basis for real world

RULE 1 - Life is not fair; get used to it.

RULE 2 - The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

RULE 3 - You will NOT make $40,000 yr out of HS. You won’t be a VP w\cell phone, until earn both a HS & college degree.

RULE 4 - If think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn’t have tenure.

RULE 5- Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping, they called it opportunity.

RULE 6 - If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7 - Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. Got that way from paying your bills; cleaning your clothes & listening to you talk about how cool you are.

RULE 8 - Your school may have done away w\winners & losers, but life has not. Some schools abolished failing grades; let you try as many times as you want to get right answer. This doesn’t bear slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9 - Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

RULE 10 - Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to their jobs.

RULE 11 - Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

Important instructions about life, give them orientation hold hands to protect and sometimes to explain how life is valuable role for parents to fulfil

2. Whispering Encouragement

When a job isn’t done the way it should be, every parent has choice of saying something that will either encourage person to do better next time, or discourage them from trying most of us can tell when we cross that line