Your Child Is Precious To God Series

YOUR CHILD - - - PRECIOUS TO GOD

Isaiah 43:4; Psalm 139: 13-17; Selected

Successful parenting depends on attitude not aptitude.

Nowhere in the Bible does God tell us that we need a certain educational level, or a certain IQ level, or even a certain income level to have and raise children successfully. Its not there.

But many times in the Bible God tells us or shows us that we need the right attitude about children in order to raise children successfully.

Successful parenting depends on attitude not aptitude.

A Classic Scripture on living the Christian life successfully: Philippians 2:5

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus¡K

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus¡K

In order to live like Christ, we must think like Christ¡K

In order to parent correctly we must think correctly about our children¡K

QUESTION: How does that happen?

How do we get and keep the right attitude about our children?

ANSWER: We Must See Our Children As God Sees Our Children.

TRANS: Present Five Ways God Sees Our Children

Five Statements: Each Will Begin With the Words: ¡§Gods Sees My Child As¡K¡¨

1. GOD SEES MY CHILD AS PRECIOUS

Precious defined: Dictionary„³ great worth, valuable, cherished, one who is beloved

Dear, treasured, priceless (can¡¦t put a price on it)

His children: Isaiah 43:4 ¡§¡Kyou are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you¡K¡¨

1 Pet 2:4 ¡§¡K precious in God’s sight¡K¡¨

Same word used by Peter: ¡§¡Kthe precious blood of Christ¡K¡¨

(sacred blood & life of Jesus the Son of God)

A term of comparison to set something apart or set above something else¡K

God sees your child as precious (great worth, valuable, cherished, one who is beloved

Dear, treasured, priceless¡K

ILL: A family had a very beautiful vase that was a family heirloom. Their little girl had been told that "it is our family treasure¡K precious." One day there was a loud crash. The little girl began to wail. Her mother ran into the room and found her daughter crying and the vase broken. She asked her daughter, "what is wrong?" "I broke the family treasure", she cried. Her mother picked her up and said, "Yes, but you are all right." Later in life the girl now grown related that, "I found out that day that I was the real family treasure¡Kprecious in their sight."

Personal: On more than one occasion ¡§You are more important to me than the car.¡¨

God sees my child as precious¡K

2. GOD SEES MY CHILD HIS PRECIOUS CREATION

Look at Psalm 139:13-17

David was marveling at the power of God to protect him in the darkest of situations and so he reflects back on his own creation in the darkness of the womb and how God was there active in his conception, creating him, designing him, fashioning him into a precious creation of God¡K

Psa 139:13 For You formed my inward parts (innermost being/soul); You wove me in my mother’s womb (His handiwork/craftsmanship). 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame (bones/skeleton) was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth (womb);16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance (embryo); And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. (even from the moment of fertilization we are under the watch care of God..plan for his life)17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

APPLY THIS TO YOUR CHILD & SELF¡K fearfully and wonderfully made¡K

ć Fearfully = awe inspiring work of power

ć Wonderfully = unique/ full of wonder

ƒá Awesomely wonderful¡K a work of wonder by God Himself¡K (miracle¡K can only be explained by the power of God)

From the moment of conception your child had a soul¡K

From the moment of conception your child was being fashioned by God¡K

From the moment of conception your child was involved with the hand of God¡K

From the moment of conception God had a plan for your child¡K

From the moment of conception your child has been an awe inspiring work of wonder

ILL: Fashioned by Debby tag¡K cross stitch or dresses for grand daughters; now clothes for little

guys. Special creations, fashioned in love: Fashioned by Debby tag

Your child ¡K Fashioned by God (not a mistake, not a bother, not an inconvenience, not defective

not something to endure¡K a special creation of God¡K a work of wonder¡Kfearfully and wonderfully made¡K (that includes the so called terrible twos and teenage years¡K

God sees your child as His precious creation¡K