Raising Christ Centered Children
Today the enemy is after children
He desires to sow the seeds of darkness into the lives of children
Through entertainment and even the public education system the enemy is simply trying to capture the heart of the next generation and lead them to destruction
As parents and grandparents, we can feel overwhelmed
We can feel like we are fighting a losing battle
But I believe when we look in God’s word and base all things on God’s word that we cannot only be victorious but also thrive
I believe it is often when things seem the darkest that God moves the greatest in the lives of His people
We must remember that His strength is made perfect in our weakness
So if we feel overwhelmed it doesn’t mean that we are
We must always remember that our feelings can never shape our faith
But I believe God’s word holds the key for raising Christ centered Children
Ephesians 6:1-4
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
What does it mean for a child to be Christ centered?
It simply means that the aim and priority of that child in all they do is to live and honor Jesus Christ
We see that Paul begins by addressing children
He calls them to honor their father and mother
That there is actually the promise of a blessing if a child will in fact honor their parents
The Lord says that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord God has given you in Exodus 20:12
God cares about family
He cares about the relationship between parent and child
This relationship changes as a child grows
When a child is young they are called to obey their parents, but as a child grows older that relationship dynamic changes
But the call to honor one’s parents never changes
But we see that the instruction don’t only fall to the child but that the Father especially has an essential role they will play in the development of that Child
Paul writes in verse 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Paul says do not provoke your children to wrath
How should a father conduct themselves?
I believe when a father is led by The Holy Spirit and does all things in the love and character of Christ that it will leave an eternal impact on that child.
Paul says that a father is to bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord
The word training means training or discipline. Refers to discipline or instruction used to train a person in the way that is right.
Admonition means admonition or warning. Refers to an admonition or warning to avoid aberrant behavior.
The raising of a child should not only include how they are to live for God but to instruct them on what can bring destruction or hinder their walk with God
This is all found in God’s word and I believe there are three key things that play a key role in raising a Christ centered child
1. Immersing the life of a child in the word of God
a. Deut 6:5-9 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
i. Moses begins with loving God with our entire being
ii. If a parent is to convey to a child the importance of God’s word it must be modeled in their own lives
b. We see that the word of God is to be every where
i. On our hearts
ii. Diligently taught to our children
iii. Talk about them when we sit in the house, when we go for a walk, when you lie down when you rise up
iv. They were even to write them on their door posts and their gates
c. The word of God was to immerse every part of their lives
i. To immerse the life of the parents
ii. Which would lead to immersing the life of a child
d. The word of God will direct our lives and the only way we can raise children in the instruction and admonition of the Lord is to immerse our lives in the word of God
i. Which we in turn immerse the lives of our children in the word of God.
2. Immersing their lives in prayer
a. Luke 11:1-4 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Our[a] Father [b]in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. [c]Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, [d]But deliver us from the evil one.”
b. The disciples themselves asked Jesus to teach them how to pray
i. Why?
ii. Most likely as they observed His life they saw that He prayed very differently than the religious leaders
iii. They also recognized that He walked with true power and authority
iv. Though He was flesh and bone, there was something very different about Jesus
c. We must teach our children how to pray by modeling it before them
i. We must pray in front of them
ii. We must pray with them
iii. We must encourage them how to pray
d. We see as Jesus taught the disciples how to pray it was not complicated
i. Began with praising and worshiping God
ii. Praying for the will of God to be done
iii. Praying for daily needs to be met
iv. For sins to be forgiven
v. Being protected and delivered from the hand and work of the enemy
e. Jesus left a frame work for effective prayer and not something to simply be repeated at rote
3. Immersing their lives in worship
a. Romans 12:1 I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service.
i. The word service means ministry, religious service, worship, duties. Refers to religious service or worship.
b. Worship is a lifestyle
i. It is not merely singing songs on Sunday morning
c. Our children will learn the value of living for God and how to do so by the model we leave for them
i. Our words will impact our children but even more will be the lifestyle we live before them
d. How we spend our time show how important something is to us
i. We must attend church as a family
ii. Some parents give their children the option to attend church or not and I personally believe this is a horrible practice
iii. A child is not given an option to attend school or not
iv. Often a child’s life is crammed full of activities and without even knowing it we can communicate to that child that a relationship with God has little or no value
e. A child learns to live a life of worship unto the Lord by the example that is set before them
i. If Jesus is important to us, it will be important to them
ii. But if our relationship with Christ is not our priority, it will not be their priority either
The world can be a scary and overwhelming place
There are so many who desire to influence our children for the world and its ways
But I believe through immersing their lives in the word, prayer, and worship that they will grow up to be men and women who are fully committed to Christ
But it begins with us and our commitment to Christ
Our children may be grown and gone, but many times the greatest person who will impact a child will be their grandparent
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