Parenting on Purpose - Part 1

The Target: Your Child’s Heart

Intro:

READY? Three Reality Checks that Must Shape Biblical Parenting:

1. Your Relationship with Christ is Priority #1.
   

   1 Corinthians 2:14 - But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.



2. Your Child is a Little Sinner.
   

   Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

   Review: Romans 5


3. The Bible is the Source of Authority.

AIM...! My Mission is to Make Disciples of My Children:
What Does it Mean to Disciple Your Children? (Deuteronomy 6:4-13)

• Worship
• Walk
• Work

FIRE! Go for the Heart.

4 Wrong Things to Go After:

1. Your comfort
2. Your child's happiness
3. Applause for yourself
4. Applause for you child

TEAR DOWN IDOLS - (Rom 8:19)

Mark 7:21-22 - For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.

LIFT UP CHRIST
Five Things to Teach and Model about Christlike-ness:

1. Teach them to Serve.
   

   Isaiah 52:13 - Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted.



2. Teach them to be Submissive.
   

   Luke 2:51 - And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and He continued in subjection to them.



3. Teach them to Seek.
   

   Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.



4. Teach them to be Sanctified.
   

   John 17:4 - I glorified you [God the Father] on earth.



5. Teach them to Suffer.
   

   1 Peter 1:2-3 - And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.

Psalm 127:3-5 - Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):

Read Psalm 127:3-5

1. What’s the best parenting advice you’ve ever heard? What’s the worst parenting advice you’ve ever heard? How do you evaluate what’s good and what’s not?
    
2. What is the goal of parenting? How do you know (as a parent) you are hitting that goal?
    
3. What does Genesis 2:24 show as a big difference between the duration of marriage and the duration of parenting? What does that say about how you should go after each of these?
    
4. How is a child’s disobedience like an idol in their heart? Discuss the following case study:

Ronnie has been told that he is to always make his bed before breakfast. Today, Mom discovers that Ronnie's bed has not been made. Mom thinks, "Is it laziness? Is it rebellion? Is it due to distraction? Do I have all the facts?"

Evaluate these possible responses from Ronnie. How would you respond if you were his Mom? Is there an idol that needs addressed? If so, what is the idol?

It's too hard to get the wrinkles out.

I'm sick of cleaning my room. Hannah doesn't have to make her bed.

"Dad asked me to help him in the basement with the leaking pipes, right away.

I'll get to it when I'm done playing Super Mario."

Breakout Questions:

Pray for parents YOU know who are currently struggling with parenting issues. 

Questions from the Congregation - Part 6

Note: The time signatures [00:00] below indicate the start of a question if you'd like to skip to a particular one of interest in the audio file.

1. [03:02] - Q: How long were Adam and Eve in the Garden before the fall?
   A: See Genesis 4:1 - Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord."
    
2. [04:13] - Q: Was there pain before the fall?
   A: See Genesis 3:16 - ...I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing...
    
3. [06:53] - Q: What is your favorite color?
   A: Grey (U.K. spelling...it must be a Chicora thing)
    
4. [07:19] - Q: God has created us to glorify Himself. What do I say to someone who says     this is selfish of God?
   A: John Piper - "God's passion for His glory is the essence of His love for us."
    
5. [12:00] - Q: Can you explain the basics of what it means to be the spiritual head of the household? How does a man successfully do this? Also, are there any study aids that reference relevant scriptures on this subject?
   A: See: 1 Corinthians 11:3 - ...the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband…
   Ephesians 5:23 - For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
   Genesis 3:16 - …your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.
   1 Timothy 5:8 – But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
    
6. [18:20] - Q: What happened to Enoch?
   A: See Genesis 5:24 - Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
   Hebrews 11:5 - By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.
    
7. [20:17] - Q: In Ezra, 8:15, what is the significance of stating that none of the sons of Levi were present?
   A: See Ezra 8:15
    
8. [25:00] - Q: Can you please squash the "Abraham's bosom" doctrine so I can share this with people who tell me I'm wrong.
   A: See Luke 16:19
    
9. [29:03] - Q: As a Christian, do we need to follow the Ten Commandments to be pleasing to God, and to be blessed by Him?
   A: See Ephesians 1:3  |  2 Cor 5:21  |  Rom 8:1-5
    
10. [33:30] - Q: If murder is a sin, does that make the military or killing in self-defense sinful?
    A: See Numbers 35:9
     
11. [36:06] - Q: What kinds of things did Jesus do for fun? What did he find     funny/entertaining?

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):

Review and discuss any of the questions and answers given on Sunday's Q&A day together. Have you found any additional biblical support for the answers given?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.

His Name

Jeff gives a brief and powerful message on the importance of your given name. He explains how Jesus' birth name means so much more than we can even believe!

Matthew 1:18-25

Unstoppable and Unbound.

Review:

Romans 8:28

Good Things Come from Bad Problems:

1. When you're Bothered enough to do something about your problems. (Acts 16:16-18)



2. When you trust God enough to Worship during your problems. (Acts 16:19-25)



3. When you Love the people are contributing to your problems. (Acts 16:26-34)



4. When you Stand for others because of your problems. (Acts 16:35-40)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 16:16-40

1. Why did the slave girl's message annoy Paul, since her message was Biblically true (Acts 16:17-18)?

2. Why did God use an angel for a previous prison break, but used an earthquake here (Acts 16:26)? What does this tell you about how God works?

3. *Do hard circumstances cause YOU to worship or avoid God (Acts 16:25)? Why?

4. Why didn’t the other prisoners run when the earthquake freed them (Acts 16:28)? What does this say about the power of your testimony regarding the people who surround YOU? How are you doing in the area of letting people see your faith lived out?

5. Why did Paul demand the magistrate come down personally (Acts 16:37-39)? What trial have you faced that  that drives you to look out for others in similar trials?

Breakout Questions:

Have you been patient, gentle, and forbearing in your relationships this week (spouse, children, friends, co-workers)? Where could you have done better? How will you improve?

Unstoppable Witness.

Review:

How Do I Know When God is Working on Someone's Heart?

1. Is the door open to Witness? (Acts 16:11-12)



2. Is the person Seeking God? (Acts 16:13-14a)



3. Is the person open to the Word? Acts 16:14b)



4. Is the person ready to Obey? (Acts 16:15a)



5. Is the person wanting to Serve? (Acts 16:15b)



1 Peter 4:9 - Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 16:11-15

1. How do you know someone’s heart is opened by God (Acts 16:14)? What should you do? Who do you know that seems open right now?

2. What should you do if someone you want to witness to, or tried witnessing to, doesn’t seem open?

3. Acts 16:15 says Lydia's household was baptized. Is this proof of infant salvation? Why or why not?

Breakout Questions:

1. Did you abide through prayer and Bible reading this week?
2. What specifically are you moved to change or apply this week and how are you going to apply it?