Sermons and Biblical Studies

“Are you Jesus?” the child asked me. I was teaching a Sunday school class when a four-year-old asked me this revealing question. Authority figures are all in the same concrete, mental category for a child. All are good or all are bad. Since I was in authority, then I must be good just like Jesus. … Continue reading “29 YOU BECOME AN EXAMPLE WHEN YOUR WORD AND
WAY LINE UP WITH GOD’S WORD AND WAY.”

“If it’s true for you, it’s true for me,” instructed the parent. We cannot teach what we do not live. We cannot say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” God wants us to be consistent as well as truthful. Why? Because truth is consistent. The world teaches children relativism. But Scripture teaches absolute … Continue reading “28 ABSOLUTE TRUTH IS TRUE FOR ALL TIMES,
FOR ALL PLACES AND FOR ALL PEOPLE—PARENTS AND CHILDREN INCLUDED.”

“What’s your purpose in doing that?” asked the parent. Help your child write a purpose statement for their life. As they grow older, the purpose statement may expand. Jesus indicates that primary purpose is loving God wholeheartedly and loving others and ourselves fervently. Are you willing to teach that to your children? A simple purpose … Continue reading “27 TEACHING CHILDREN PURPOSE EMPOWERS THEM
TO PLAN.”

“Dad, why do you have a radar detector in your car?” queried the teenage son. We insist that our children obey God’s laws and the laws of the state. We demand that they respect God-ordained authority. But do we teach them what’s right by both example and lifestyle? If it’s all right for me to … Continue reading “26 TEACHING RIGHT FROM WRONG CONSIDERS THE
CHOICE, COMPARES TO GOD, CHOOSES THE RIGHT, AND COUNTS THE COST.”

The hardest three words a parent may ever have to say to a child are, “I was wrong.” However, such confessions can build trust and intimacy between parents and children. We train our children to confess their wrongs by modeling such confession ourselves. At times, we will react emotionally and rashly to our children’s behaviors … Continue reading “25 WHEN WRONG, GO TO YOUR CHILD: ADMIT IT,
QUIT IT, FORGET IT.”

“Dad is always preaching at me,” complained the son. Sermonettes rarely communicate lasting truths. Children are much more inclined to listen after they have been listened to. Are you willing to ask the right questions and then listen to your child’s answers? And remember that a child’s initial response, decision, or problem may not be … Continue reading “24 COUNSELING TEENAGERS ISN’T
ADVICE-GIVING; IT’S ASKING RIGHT QUESTIONS FOLLOWED BY MUCH LISTENING.”

Answering “why” early saves sorrow later. “Johnny’s questions seem endless.” The early years of childhood are filled with a curious stream of questions about why. Once you have given the same answers over and over again, repeat the questions and see if your children have “gotten it.” Deposit truth early in your child. Later in … Continue reading “23 ANSWERING YOUR CHILD’S QUESTIONS EARLY
DEPOSITS ANSWERS FOR THEIR LATE QUESTIONS WHEN YOU’RE NOT AROUND.”

“Don’t do that,” repeated the mother hundreds of times a day. She was frustrated. The child became resistive and oppositional to everything the mother said. The whole cycle of unproductive, ineffective parenting could be reversed with a question instead of a demand. “Why are you doing that?” Early in childhood, a parent needs to teach … Continue reading “22 SOLVING PROBLEMS FOR YOUR CHILDREN NEVER
TEACHES PROBLEM SOLVING.”

Too often, we find ourselves reacting to a child’s negative behavior and making “on the spot” decisions about what we say and do. Our reactions often become overreactions which fail to teach our child anything except that we’re out of control of ourselves. Being proactive means … •     Contracts are set in advance. •     Boundaries are drawn … Continue reading “21 BE PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE. SET RULES
AND CONSEQUENCES IN ADVANCE. THE OLDER THE CHILD THE MORE THE CHILD
PARTICIPATES IN SETTING BOUNDARIES.”

“Honey, does that make you happy?” asked the doting parent. We live to please God, not please our children. Children don’t always know what’s best for them. They rarely understand what they want as opposed to what they need. They must be trained and taught by a godly parent. Parents get their clue for parenting … Continue reading “20 LIVING TO MAKE CHILDREN HAPPY PRODUCES
UNHAPPY FAMILIES.”