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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
October 5, 2025
◘Raising a Godly Generation
Selected Scriptures
Introduction
This morning our scripture reading was taken from Psalm 78 because it introduced the topic I am going to address today. Verses 5-7 state, 5 “For He established a testimony in Jacob And set a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they should teach them to their children, 6 That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and recount them to their children, 7 That they should set their confidence in God And not forget the deeds of God, But observe His commandments.”
◘How do you raise a godly generation? It is very evident that our nation has not done well at this for many generations. The percentage of people in our country that would be considered “godly,” even if loosely defined as those who have some fear of a god and act accordingly, continues to decline, and rapidly so in the last couple of generations. More than a quarter of those in their 20’s consider themselves as “other” when it comes to religious categories. This lack of a fear of God has many ramifications including the increasing level of people being proud, selfish, rude, crude, crass, immoral and violent. This has become painfully obvious in daily news and in interactions with people in public daily life. People who behave worse than animals. Professionals who speak with the language of immature sailors. Personal integrity lacking to such a degree you need contracts and lawyers to conduct business that used to be done with just a handshake. Politicians who have made that very term one of contempt for they speak and make decisions based on political marketing strategies and bend to whatever voices may be the greatest threat to their position. They lack fear of God, so staying in office is much more important to them than doing what is right before God. You must now be much more defensive in your driving because you don’t know what others are going to do.
◘I could go on for a long time about why these things have been happening since it involves so many different factors and influences – family dynamics, friends, schooling, marketing, philosophy, religious instruction, church attendance, entertainment choices, government laws and regulations, cultural factors, medications, diet, etc., ◘but in the end, it is the result of previous generations failing to adequately teach the generations that follow them the knowledge and fear of God. This morning I am going to point out why that responsibility primarily rests on parents or those substituting for them, but I will also point out how the extended family and the church family can help to raise a godly generation even in the midst of a society that continues or even increases in their ungodliness.
◘Parental Responsibility
It is normal for people to try to deflect personal responsibility since that is part of our sinful nature. Adam blamed Eve and God for giving her to him. Eve blamed the serpent for deceiving her. The serpent lost his voice and legs and couldn’t blame anyone else. All were cursed. It is no different when it comes to parenting even in Christian circles. If their son or daughter does well, the parents are happy to brag about them. But if the child becomes rebellious and a problem in society, then the parents are quick to claim they did everything they could, so it is not their fault. Blame is shifted to other people or systems – bad friends, media, school, the other parent, or even the church. However, there are quite a few Proverbs that contradict that idea.
◘Proverbs 10:1, “A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son [is] the grief of his mother.” Proverbs 17:25, “A foolish son [is] a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him.” Proverbs 19:26, “He who assaults [his] father [and] drives [his] mother away Is a shameful and disgraceful son.” Proverbs 29:15, “The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.”
While grief and bitterness can express emotions experienced over negative things you could not control, ◘shame is a negative emotion that is directly related to one’s own wrong actions or failures. A mother and father are shamed when their children behave in such ways that it exposes their parenting failures. The reality is that all parents will fail to one degree or another which is why godly parents not only work hard in rearing their children, but they pray hard too. They are also humble to ask advice from older, godly people.
◘While parents do carry responsibility in what kind of adult their child becomes, the child cannot blame the parents for his or her own sins regardless of how bad they may have been. Why? Because each individual bears full responsibility for himself. This fact is stated directly in Ezekiel 18:20, “The person who sins will die . The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.” God judges impartially based on each man’s deeds (1 Peter 1:17) which will condemn all whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 20:12-13). However, your name can be written there if you repent from your sins to believe in the person and redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ which grants both forgiveness of sins and adoption into God’s family.
Parents, understand that God is not going to hold you responsible for you children’s sins, but He is going to hold you responsible for your failures to raise them according to His instructions. How your children turn out is a reflection on how you parented them. What you do in raising your child will greatly affect what they believe to be true, what is important, what life is all about, what behaviors are acceptable or unacceptable, and their understanding of themselves and others. ◘Since how you raise them will affect how they turn out, you must seek God for wisdom and strength in raising your children, and His forgiveness when at times you do fail at it. ◘When their behavior exposes a failure in your parenting do the following: 1) Recognize and confess the failure to God and to them. 2) Seek forgiveness from God and them to reconcile. 3) Repent to correct the failure and also the damage if possible. 4) Intercede for them pleading for God’s mercy upon them that the Holy Spirit will yet bring them under conviction of sin and draw them to Himself
◘What are God’s instructions to parents? The Scriptures are filled with lessons children are to be taught, so we could easily spend many weeks going over them, and I have done that in the past. Today I will point to just a few general commands under which the specifics apply. See: https://www.gracebibleny.org/category/sermons/family_marriage_children
◘New Testament Requirements – Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21
We begin with the double command in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The first command is from the negative – what you should not do. The second command is from the positive – what you are to do.
◘First Command. To provoke to anger, parorgivzw / parorgizō, is to cause / prod a response of anger / wrath in another person. This is not referring to the occasional anger children may have because they do not like a parental decision or how they are treated on a particular occasion. This is referring to parenting practices that regularly, consistently provoke the children toward an angry response whether open or hidden. Children are still responsible for their own anger and response, but if your parenting practices are improper and provoking it, then you too are guilty.
◘A corollary to this verse is found in Colossians 3:21, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.” To exasperate (ejreqivzw / erethizô) is to stir up, stimulate, provoke a response which in this case is bad because it is a reaction of being disheartened, (ajqumevw / athumeô), which is the negation of spirit, courage. We usually think that stimulation stirs up action, but this does the opposite. The child is provoked to give up. How can that be? ◘Because when something is stimulated too much it becomes insensitive to it and no longer notices to respond – touch, taste, smell, hearing. A sliver embedded in the skin irritates and provokes at first, but eventually callous tissue forms around it so that it is no longer noticed. So it can be with children. This negative stimulation can cause anger, as Ephesians 6:4 warns, but eventually it discourages and disheartens creating indifference or despondency.
◘A quick example. His son is learning to play a sport, but instead of affirming new and improving skill, the dad always points out his lack and failure. That could provoke anger in which the son works harder to prove his dad wrong and gain his acceptance, but if continued it can cause the opposite effect of giving up on the sport and ever gaining dad’s approval.
◘There are many things that parents might do to provoke anger, and if continued, exasperate and discourage. Here are a few:
1) Abuse: Physical and verbal. Parents who cannot control their own anger will provoke it in their children. Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Discipline done in anger will lead to abuse. Calm down before you discipline. James 1:20 – “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”
◘2) Inconsistency in standards and behavior causes frustration because the child never quite knows what to expect. That can initially prod anger, but over time it can also cause a child to lose heart. Train your children to first time obedience. It is easier on both parent and child because both know what expected when there is consistency.
◘3) Parental Selfishness views the children as extraneous intrusions into life. Even if physically present, the parent’s mind is somewhere else and only rarely on the children, and even then it is only enough to keep them out of your way. This provokes anger at whatever takes you away from them, and eventually indifference toward you because you did not demonstrate that you cared about them. The pop song “Cats in the Cradle” illustrates this well.
◘4) Favoritism is a danger for every family with multiple children. It increases sibling rivalry resulting in anger and resentment as it did for Jacob and Esau. Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph passed that down to the next generation. Each child is different and will need different amounts and types of attention, but don’t show favoritism to one child over the others. That will be seen as unfair and cause many problems.
◘5) Excessive Expectations and Discouragement often go together. Expectations need to be reasonably set within that particular child’s skills and ability in doing his best. Failure with effort is acceptable. Compliment achievements and encourage toward improvement. Don’t compare your children to one another or others for it will either discourage them or puff up their pride.
◘6) Using affection to manipulate is a sure way to destroy your children. We are to be examples of God’s love, and He loved us first while we were yet sinners. When we disobey, God does not reject His children, instead, He chastens us because He loves us (Heb. 12:8). Nothing can separate God’s children from His love, and it was proven by Christ at the cross (Romans 5:8; 8:31-39). Children should never have cause to doubt the love of their parents.
◘Second Command. The second phrase of Ephesians 6:4 gives the positive side of what parents are to do to their children, “but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” ◘To “bring them up,” ejktrevfw / ektrephô, is primarily used of children and means to “to nourish” as in “to feed, provide,” “nurture,” “rear.” Feeding is an on going action. You hardly finish one meal when you are already starting to plan for the next. That same idea is inherent in bringing up a child. It is on going. One task is done and the next one starts and often the first task has to be repeated several times. You get them to roll over, then crawl, then stand, then walking which is followed by running, riding a bike and then driving. You teach them the alphabet, and then how to put letters together to make words, then words into sentences, followed by reading and writing at ever increasing levels. They learn to count, then add and subtract, then multiply and divide, figure fractions and proportions, then scientific notation, logarithms, geometry, algebra, calculus, etc. You teach them to talk, then you have to teach them to be quiet!
Paul points out two aspects of bringing up a child. Discipline and instruction.
◘Discipline. The word here, paideiva / paideia refers to the various aspects of training a child which include nurture, instruction, discipline, chastening and training. This certainly includes the negative side of discipline in teaching them lots of prohibitions – what they are not to do – and upholding the negative consequences of violating those commands. However, most of discipline should be positive training. This is the education of the child in all aspects of life including the moral and spiritual. It involves example, lecture, reading, observation and discovery. It sets up opportunity for practice, gives reminders as well as correction back to the standard to reinforce a lesson. It is both formal and informal, occurring throughout the day in every circumstance.
◘Instruction. The word used here, nouqesiva / nouthesia, gives more stress on the mental aspect of teaching in that the root word means “to set in mind.” Instruction sets in the mind both the spiritual and societal truths of life in how to live with God and with man. This would be exemplified by the book of Proverbs which was written, according Proverbs 1:2-6, “To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, 3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; 4 To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, 5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.”
There is also a strong element of correction in this element of child rearing which is why the word is also translated as admonition, warning and exhortation. In this sense it is instructive correction given without provoking or embittering the child.
◘Taken together, discipline and instruction teaches the mind of the child to think correctly and trains him in skills and proper behavior. But please note that this discipline and instruction are to be “of the Lord.” ◘Nurturing a child in this way should encompass all that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states about the Scriptures being “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Teaching points out the path of life. Reproof warns when you get off that path. Correction gets you back on the path. Instruction tells you how to stay on the path. That is what is to happen to children as they are nurtured in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
This is not an easy task and it will take great diligence. The primary task of parents in this age is actually the same as it was when Moses gave instructions to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 6.
◘Old Testament Wisdom – Deuteronomy 6:1-9
The children of Israel are on the plains of Moab, just across the Jordan river from the road to Jericho. The first generation has died in the wilderness, and the second generation is poised, ready and waiting to conquer and posses the land before them. ◘But Moses has a problem. Many of this second generation were not alive when God gave His law from Mt Sinai. Moses also knows that he will soon die, so how will he teach these people the Law of God so that the future generations to come will also know God, obey His commandments, and live prosperous and successful in the land? The answer is given in Deuteronomy 6:1-9. Look at vs. 1-3.
◘1 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments, which Yahweh your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do it in the land where you are going over to possess it, 2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 “O Israel, you shall listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
◘Moses gives three reasons they are to learn the law and keep it. 1) Your life might be prolonged. 2) That it might be well with you. 3) That you may multiply greatly. Note also he states this is for you, your son and grandson. Three generations. Moses was about to die, so how would he affect multiple generations to come?
◘First, Moses reduced all of God’s law to its essential essence of a basic statement that encompassed all of the law. This is the Shema.
Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (LSB), 4 “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! 5 “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” This is the passage that Jesus quoted in Matthew 22:38 stating it was the “great and foremost commandment,” and then added that the second was like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and that the whole Law and the Prophets depended on these two commandments.
Moses next gives his instructions on how this will be transferred from generation to generation in verses 6-7. It is from this section that we will draw three principles for how to raise a godly generation.
◘6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
The three principles are: 1. The Parent must love the Lord. 2. The parent must teach his child diligently. 3. The parent must model this life to his child. ◘I say parent instead of just father because the responsibility is upon both parents. If one parent is not a Christian, or not following the Lord properly, the other parent is still responsible to train the children as best they can in the ways of the Lord. The father has the greater responsibility before God for doing this as head of his home, but this does not reduce the mother’s responsibility. For example, in Proverbs 1:8 states, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”
◘1. The Parent Must Love the Lord. Those who properly love God will have His commandments on their hearts as expressed in Psalm 119 because God’s law reveals the nature and will of God allowing those who worship Him to draw nearer to Him. Parents who have God’s commandments on their hearts will teach and model it as a true and wonderful value system to live by. Parents who do not love God can teach the tenants of His law, but that will be an intellectual exercise of learning rigid rules that degenerate quickly into legalism that seeks to circumvent obedience to it while also boosting pride as it did in the Pharisees.
◘2. The Parent must Teach His Child Diligently. To teach diligently is to actively pierce the hearts and minds of your children with the truths of God’s word. That cannot be done passively. It requires a keen understanding of your child including how he best learns so that you can adapt the method of teaching to be effective. You must actively look for and create opportunities in which to teach both the information and practical application of the lesson as well as the consequences of failing to apply it in life. The purpose of the phylacteries and mezuzahs mentioned in verses 8-9 were to be constant reminders to yourself and your children of the law of God.
◘3. The parent must model this life to his child. Your diligence in teaching your children has a foundation in your modeling it to them. The description of that diligence in teaching and modeling it covers all times and all activities of daily life. When you are moving about, when you are sitting still. When you get up, when you go to bed. Your children need to see you living out what you are teaching them in every aspect of daily life. Much of life’s lessons are more caught than taught. As Jesus stated in Luke 6:40, when a pupil (student – child) is fully trained, he will be like his teacher. Your teaching and example is training your children to become like you. Are you raising the next generation to be godly or not?
◘Godly Influences
Luke 6:40 brings up the fact that parents are not alone in their endeavor to raise up a godly generation. There are many people that can be teachers and models for your children in the pursuit of godliness. ◘Such people can assist the parents in their responsibilities, or may even be a substitute for parents who are absent or ungodly. Many of you did not have godly parents, yet the Lord provided other people which have taught you to know and love God and model the Christian life to you. For those attending church it is often someone there – pastor, teacher, mentor, friend. For those not going to church, God often uses relatives, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, someone in your social club or hobby group to teach and model godliness. It can also come from what you read and watch. That is a reason for Christians to be actively involved in their community and friendly to new people for that is where opportunity arises to witness for Christ and help others know and love him. You may be the model of godliness that someone else needs.
◘There is also a caution here because influences outside the parents could be negative even from within a church. There are tares among the wheat, false among the true, in the church, as well as the issue of the level of spiritual maturity. Parents have to be discerning to deter or even prevent relationships with those who would be detrimental to godliness while at the same time encouraging their children in relationships what will promote godliness. That brings up the question that I want to address before we end. What can the church do to help?
◘Help from the Church
First, the church cannot replace the parents in their responsibility to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The church can only help by: ◘A) Disciple the parents so that they will have the spiritual maturity and wisdom to raise their children in godliness. This includes the various ministries for adults such as sermons and Bible studies as well as personal discipleship and counseling. ◘B) Point parents to materials that can help them raise their children in godliness. This can include parenting classes, books and other educational materials. ◘C) Provide opportunities for godly relationships to develop so that like minded families can reinforce what they are teaching their children. ◘D) Provide ministries to teach children the Scriptures and application of them to life. However, ministries to children can only augment what the parents are doing since they are insufficient to replace them, though too often they are the only Christian education a child may receive.
We have several ministries to children that can be helpful to families, though you may not be able to take advantage of all of them, and the timing of some may conflict with your God given priorities. That may include just being together as a family since work and commuting may prevent that during the week. ◘However, I will stress that the Christian education of your children is much more important than a lot of other activities such as sports and dance that tend to take up a lot of time and often in environments that are less than spiritually healthy. It is a matter of priorities. Your time is limited, so redeem the time by making sure your priorities align with God’s priorities.
◘First is children’s church for ages 4-8 during morning worship which is designed to help them learn about the Lord and worship Him at their age level of understanding. Your child is certainly welcome to stay and hear the pastor’s sermon. There is a Kids Korner in the sermon notes for younger and older children that can help them stay focused and discuss the sermon with their parents at a later time. Sermons target the adults. It is the responsibility of parents to help their children understand the sermon and other Bible teachings at church.
◘Second is our Family Bible Hour – our Sunday School – which meets from 9:15-10:15 am. Our kick off with revised and new classes is next Sunday. We still need a volunteer to watch kids in the nursery. There will be classes for primary age (1st – 3rd) and juniors (4th – 6th). This will begin next Sunday with the lesson topics centering on God’s Word. Sample curriculum is on the back table which includes take home papers for the lesson to be discussed at home. Junior High and above will meet with the adults until there is enough attendance and a teacher for them to have a separate class. Ed Colón will continue teaching an interactive study on Ephesians. I will be teaching a topical study on Successful Christian Living which will begin next Sunday with an introduction to the subject. All classes will be downstairs so you can have coffee or tea and a bagel or pastry during class.
I know that for most of you that coming to church at 9:15 am on a Sunday will mean changing your normal routine to get here, but it is a matter of priority. You say sleep is a priority. I agree. Go to bed earlier on Saturday night. If you do not come that may not mean you are a less spiritual Christian, but you and your family will certainly gain a greater Biblical knowledge and understanding if you do come. Pray about how this would fit into the priorities God has for your family.
◘Third is our Trail Life / American Heritage Girls / Kids Adventure Club on Friday nights that will begin October 17. This will be a combination of Bible lessons and memorization along with practical skills development. The goal is to help your children develop a godly character and abilities. See Lance Nitahara, Nicole Lowery and Sam Ramac.
◘Fourth is our youth ministry for 8th – 12th grade on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:30 pm beginning October 15. The Bible lessons this semester will be on the Attributes of God along with training in evangelism. The evening also includes snacks and socialization. It is led by Dominic & Heather Bonasio.
◘Fifth is our homeschool cooperative that meets on Friday’s to build our homeschool community and offer classes on various subjects. It has already started, but I wanted to mention it to encourage you to be very serious about the education your child receives. ◘The curriculum in New York public schools have become adversarial to Christian belief and principles, and the environment can be even worse. If you cannot escape them with the options of private Christian school, Homeschool or private tutoring, ◘then you must plan and debrief your children each day to help them withstand and overcome the lies being taught and the various evils on campus. You will also have to supplement with materials to cover subject matter that is not taught. The ministries to children that we offer become of even greater importance in helping you raise your children to become godly adults.
◘Conclusions
Raising your children to be a godly generation is no easy task. It is an awesome responsibility, yet one of the greatest privileges you will ever have. No parent has it all together, which is why you must be humble and always be looking to the Lord in your own life so that you can succeed by both following His instructions and relying on His mercy and grace upon you and your children to bring them to maturity despite your own failings. ◘Be involved in the body of Christ to minister to others and let them minister to you and your family. Commit yourself to bringing your children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord while avoiding provoking them to anger or exasperating them causing them to lose heart. Parents who fail to do this have failed regardless of how much time and money they have spent on their children. Too many dads think they are successful if they can purchase lots of stuff for their kids. Too many moms think they are successful if they give lots of time to their kids. However, if time and materials are not used to help your child understand God, what He has done and how to love Him, then it was all wasted. ◘Those who do raise their children to be a generation with godly character will find they will become a blessing to both you and others, which is the real mark of successful parenting.
Sermon Notes – 10/5/2025
Raising a Godly Generation – Selected Scriptures
Introduction
It is painfully evident that the last several generations have been becoming more ___________
There are many factors to this decline, but it is ultimately the previous generations ___teaching the new ones
Parental Responsibility
Blame shifting has been normal for humans since Gen. 3, parents often ___________for their problem child
Proverbs 10:1; 17:25; 19:26; 29:15 – shame is directly related to one’s _______________actions & failures
Parents are responsible for their failures, but children are responsible for their ____________- Ezekiel 18:20
Parenting practice affects how a child turns out as an adult – so ______for wisdom & tenacity from the Lord
1) Recognize & _________failure. 2) Seek forgiveness. 3) ________& correct. 4) Intercede for God’s mercy
See: https://www.gracebibleny.org/category/sermons/family_marriage_children
New Testament Requirements – Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21
1st Command: Do not provoke / cause / prod a response of ___________/ wrath in your children
Do not exasperate / stir up / stimulate your children in a way that ____________them
Continual stimulation results in becoming ____________to the stimulation – irritation causes callus to form
_____________criticism without affirmation provokes anger, then eventually indifference / giving up
____________: Physical & verbal – Proverbs 15:1; James 1:20. Control your own anger
_____________in standards & behavior required. Train your children to first time obedience
Parental _____________- children are not extraneous intrusions – they are a God given gift & responsibility
____________increases sibling rivalry, anger & resentment – Example: Jacob & Esau
Excessive _____________& Discouragement – Be reasonable, note his/her abilities, compliment, encourage
Using affection to _______________ – follow the example of God’s love – consistent, sacrificial, proven
2nd Command: bring them up in the discipline & instruction of the Lord
“Bring them up” – feed, provide, nurture, rear – an ___________action.
Discipline – includes instruction, ____________and chastening
Instruction – more stress on the _________aspects of teaching – “to set in mind” – exemplified by Proverbs
Discipline & instruction teaches the ______to think correctly & trains the child in ______& proper behavior
2 Tim. 3:16-17 applies – ____________________teaches, reproves, corrects, trains in righteousness
Old Testament Wisdom – Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Moses must __________the second generation God’s law before he dies
Vs. 1-3: Learn God’s law so that 1) Your ___is prolonged. 2) It will be well with you. 3). You may multiply
Vs. 4-5. The law is _________________in the command to Love Yahweh with all your heart, soul & might
Vs. 6-7. Primary responsibility is on dad, but the duty lies on __________parents – Proverbs 1:8
1) The Parent Must Love the Lord – resulting in loving God’s commands (________) & having them in heart
2) The Parent must Teach His Child _________- actively pierce heart & mind of a child – cannot be passive
3) The parent must __________this life to his child – encompasses every aspect of daily life
Godly Influences – Luke 6:40
Other people can __________parents or even be a substitute for absent or ungodly parents
Be cautious of who ___________your children to be sure it will produce a godly outcome
Help from the Church
The church cannot replace parental responsibility, but they can __________by:
A) _____________parents to be godly. B) Provide Christian _______________education.
C) Provide opportunity for ______________with like minded families. D) Provide ministries for ________
Christian education is _________________important than many things commonly valued by our society
1) Children’s Church during Sunday sermon 2) Sunday School – 9:15-10:15 am
3) Trail Life / American Heritage Girls / Kids Adventure Club, – Fridays starting October 17 @ 6:30 pm
4) Youth Ministry for 8th – 12th Wednesday nights 6:30-8:30 pm starting October 15
5) GBC Homeschool Cooperative – Friday’s starting at 8:45 am
New York public schools are ___________to Christianity – curriculum, many teachers, school environment
Be diligent to debrief, supplement, take advantage of Christian _______________to you & your children
Conclusions
Raising a godly generation is not easy. Be humble. _________your way to the Lord. Be involved. Persevere.
Children raised to have godly character are a ________to you & others – & the mark of successful parenting
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children: Draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following:1) Write down all the verses mentioned in the sermon and look them up later. 2) Count how many times “child” or “children” are mentioned. Talk with your parents about what is helping you to know and understand God & Jesus Christ, and what else might also be helpful.
THINK ABOUT IT! – Questions to consider / discuss with others. Why do you think each generation has been becoming more ungodly over the last century? What responsibility does a parent have in raising their child to be godly? What should a parent do when a child’s bad behavior exposes a failure? What are some common parenting failures to avoid to keep from provoking a child to anger or exasperating them to lose heart? What does it mean to “bring a child up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”? How does the Bible help in that endeavor? What three goals does Moses have in teaching the 2nd generation the commands of God in Deut. 6:1-3? What does it mean to love Yahweh with all your heart, soul & might (Deut. 6:4-5)? How does that summarize all of God’s commands? What three principles enable a parent to pass down godliness to succeeding generations? Why must you be careful who influences your children even in church? What are some of the ways the church can help parents fulfill their responsibilities in raising their children?
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