Raising Arrows

Week 3 – Raising Arrows

Theme: Godly parenting is about shaping children for His purpose, not shielding them from the world.

We are stewards of souls, not owners of them.

Opening

If the family is the house, and marriage is the foundation....

then children are the arrows that fly from it.

The strength of the next generation depends on the faithfulness of

YOU AND I AS PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS AND SPIRITUAL PARENTS.

Psalm 127 paints that picture not just of blessing—but of responsibility.

Because raising children isn’t just about providing for them; it’s about preparing them.

CAN SOMEONE SAY AMEN?

IT’S NOT ABOUT BUYING THEM ANYTHING THEY WANT SO THEY CAN FIT IN OR LOOK COOL....

THAT’S CALLED SPOILING THEM

GIFTS OCASSIONALLY ARE OK AND GOOD

I LIKE BUYING MY KIDS NICE THINGS JUST LIKE THE NEXT PERSON BUT..

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A LINE

YEAH BUT PASTOR CHRIS YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND....THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW DAYS.

I DON’T WANT THEM TO GET MADE FUN OF

I DON’T WANT THEM TO FEEL LEFT OUT

I WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY

I WANT THEM TO HAVE ALL THAT I DIDN’T WHEN I WAS GROWING UP

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE CAREFUL WITH THAT MINDSET.....

YOU MAY END UP HURTING YOUR KIDS AS ADULTS

OH COME ON….

SOME OF YOU NOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT...

DOES ANYONE KNOW ANY ENTITLED ADULTS????LOL

YEAH, IT STARTS AT HOME WITH THE PARENTS..

I SAW A VIDEO LAST WEEK OF A DAD TALKING ABOUT HIS KIDS...

HE HAD DICIPLINED HIS SON AND ENDED UP TAKING HIS XBOX FROM HIM...

AND PEOPLE BEGIN TO SHARE HOW GREAT IT WOULD BE IF THEY COULD TAKE THEIR XBOX’S FROM THEIR KIDS...

HE WAS LIKE......UH....WHY CAN’T YOU????

HE THEN BEGAN TO SHARE HOW WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR HIS YOUNGEST SON TO HAVE A PHONE..

HE DECIDED TO GET HIS YOUNGEST A FLIP PHONE....DUE TO THE CELL PHONE ABUSE THAT HE DEALT WITH WITH HIS OLDEST SON

WHEN HIS OLDEST SON SAW HIS BROTHER GETTING THE FLIP PHONE HE STARTED MAKING FUN OF HIM...

AND THEN DAD SAID....ACTUALLY THIS IS FOR YOU....TOOK HIS CELL PHONE AND GAVE HIM FLIP PHONE....

AGAIN THE COMMENTS SAID....OH THAT IS AWESOME...

I WISH I COULD TAKE THE CELL PHONE FROM MY TEENAGERS

AND HE LIKE....WHY CAN’T YOU TKAE THEIR CELL PHONES FROM THEM....

I HAVE HEARD MANY PEOPLE SAY....”KIDS THESE DAYS ARE OUT OF CONTROL”....

HOW TERRIBLE THE GENERATION COMING UP BEHIND US IS.....

CHURCH....THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE KIDS...IT’S THE PARENTS

PARENTS THESE DAYS ARE OUT OF CONTROL

OH MY LORD...HELP US TODAY

I DONT KNOW IF YOUR READY FOR THIS…

Let’s read it together.

Psalm 127:3–5 NIV

3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

NOTICE....Children aren’t called burdens — they’re called blessings.

They’re not interruptions to your life;

they are.... the legacy of your life.

OH COME ON SOMEBODY.....

YEAH BUT PASTOR CHRIS....YOU DON’T KNOW MY CHILD...

THEY ARE A HUGE BURDEN....

NO THEY ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.....WHICH CAN BE VERY HEAVY AS A PARENT

UNDERSTAND THIS....

The love that your kids bring does not erase the sacrifice they demand;

it just gives it meaning.

Not All Weight Is Harmful

A burden isn’t automatically negative. It’s something that presses on you — but

sometimes that pressure builds strength, like weights in the gym.

there’s a difference between a “burden” and a “responsibility”

In Scripture, a burden (Greek: βάρος, baros) often means something that crushes or overwhelms you — like guilt or oppression.

But a responsibility is weighty in a different way:

it’s meaningful work entrusted to you.

So the Bible views children as a weight of glory....... not a weight of despair.

Even faithful people struggled

Moses said, “Did I conceive all these people? … I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me” (Numbers 11:11–14). → That’s a parent-like moment of total overwhelm.

God’s response? IS....He sends help, not rebuke.

Hannah wept bitterly for a child (1 Samuel 1), and later, when she received one, she dedicated him to the Lord.

→ Even wanted blessings can feel heavy — but they remain blessings.

A good burden doesn’t crush you; it forms you.

Carrying responsibility teaches endurance.

Carrying love teaches compassion.

Carrying loss teaches empathy.

Spiritual View

good burdens are those that refine the soul.

Jesus says, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” — meaning

that the burden of love, service, and faith is not destructive but redemptive.

Psychological View

Modern psychology agrees: stress and hardship can be growth-producing when they have meaning and support.

This is called “stress-related growth” —

people often become wiser, stronger, and more compassionate after enduring something difficult.

SO......

The key is not to avoid all burdens, but to avoid empty burdens —

those that crush without purpose or growth.

✨ In Short

Yes — some burdens are good.

They’re the ones that:

Grow your character.

Deepen your love.

Draw you closer to God’s purpose for your life.

🌱 SOME WAYS Children Are a Blessing....IN CASE YOU NEED TO BE TOLD...LOL

Love and Connection:

Children often bring a kind of unconditional love that deepens family bonds.

Watching them grow can fill parents with pride, tenderness, and a sense of purpose.

2. Perspective and Renewal:

Kids remind adults of wonder — they notice small things, ask curious questions, and see the world with fresh eyes.

That can soften a hardened heart or bring joy back into daily life.

3. Legacy and Growth:

Raising a child allows people to pass on values, traditions, and lessons.

It’s also a mirror — parents often grow emotionally and spiritually as they raise their children.

4. Motivation:

Many parents say their children give them strength to work harder, make better choices, and think beyond themselves.

Think of it this way:

the “burden” part is the

weight of love and responsibility,

and the “blessing” part is the

joy, purpose, and transformation that come from carrying it.

WE HAVE GOT TO STOP THINKING OF OUR CHILDREN JUST AS BURDENS....

OUR CHILDREN ARE AN OPOTUNITY FOR US TO HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE

TO HELP BUILD THE KINGDOM...

TEACH THEM SO THEY CAN TEACH THEIR KIDS

DID YOU notice the imagery:

“like arrows in the hands of a warrior.”

That means your children are not meant to stay in your hand forever.

They are meant to be shaped, aimed, and released.

OH COME ON.....

An arrow in the hand is potential —

but an arrow in flight is purpose.

OH THAT IS GOOD....

Your job as a parent is not just to protect the arrow, but to prepare it.

1. Children Are a Heritage, Not a Hassle

Our culture often treats children as interruptions

too loud,

too demanding,

too inconvenient.

But the Word calls them a heritage from the Lord.

In Hebrew, that word “heritage” (nachalah) means a possession entrusted — something given to you for safekeeping, not ownership....

OH THIS IS GOOD....

UNDERSTAND THIS...

your children are not yours to control — they are yours to steward.

You are raising someone who belongs to God first.

Proverbs 22:6 NIV

6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

What you pour in early determines what they walk out later.

You are aiming their life by what you prioritize today.

Teaching Insight – The Heritage of a Warrior

In ancient Hebrew culture, a warrior’s arrows were his legacy.

When he died, his bow and quiver were passed to his sons as a symbol of honor and identity.

Every arrow carried the warrior’s mark —

the craftsmanship, the balance, the weight —

all of it pointed back to the warrior who made it.

OH COME SOMEBODY..

Your children carry your mark —

your words, your habits, your example.

The question is:

What kind of mark are you leaving?

Parents, DO NOT despise the assignment God gave you.

Your home is not chaos —

it’s Kingdom training ground.

2. Aim the Arrow Before You Release It

Psalm 127 says children are like arrows.

But HERE IS THE THING....

an arrow doesn’t aim itself.

A skilled archer doesn’t just shoot —

he shapes first.

HERE IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.....

Arrows in ancient times were not mass-produced;

they were hand-carved.

A warrior would spend hours...

smoothing,

balancing, and aligning the shaft OF THE ARROW so THAT IT flew straight.

A single flaw — a bend,

a crack,

a dull edge — could cost the battle.

💡 Aha Moment: Parents, your home is the workshop where arrows are shaped....

Every word of encouragement,

every moment of correction,

every prayer over your child —

you are sanding the shaft,

sharpening the tip,

and preparing that arrow for its destiny.

THINK ABOUT IT.....

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 NIV

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Explanation:

God never told Israel to outsource discipleship to the priest.

He told parents to teach truth in the home.

Faith begins.... not in the temple,

but around the table.

OH COME ON....I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS....

Every parent is a preacher.

Your home is your pulpit.

Your life is your sermon.

If you don’t teach them who God is....the world will teach them who He IS NOT.

Teaching Insight – The Aim of the Warrior

In Roman warfare, archers practiced for years to find their eye......(EXPLAIN HOW TO FIND YOUR DOMINANT EYE)

They learned that the strength of the shot came not from the arms, but from the stance.

If your footing was off, your aim was off.

💥 Aha Moment: Parents — your spiritual stance determines your child’s spiritual aim.

OH COME ON SOMEBODY.....

If your home stands on prayer and the Word,

your children will fly straight.

I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT ADULTS...

WHEN YOUR CHILDREN BECOME ADULTS THEY HAVE TO CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES....

BUT IF YOU HAVE LAYED A SOLID FOUNDATION....THEY WILL KNOW THE TRUTH

BUT WHILE THEY ARE CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS IN YOUR HOME....

If your stance is shaky —

IF YOUR STANCE IS inconsistent,

distracted, double-minded —

THEN KNOW THIS....your arrows will wobble in flight.

3. Model the Message You Preach

Children don’t just hear what we say —

they become what we model.

SO....

If WE want our children to walk with Jesus,

they have to see us walk with Him first.

Ephesians 6:4 ESV

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

this verse does not explicitly state...not to frustrate our children through hypocrisy. However, 

the verse emphasizes the importance of consistent and loving parenting, which can be seen as a form of hypocrisy if parents do not practice what they preach.

Hypocrisy in parenting can lead to children feeling 

confused, 

frustrated, 

and disrespected. 

therefore...it is essential for parents...

 to be consistent in their behavior and teachings to avoid hypocrisy 

SO I THINK WHAT Paul is saying IN AN INDIRECT WAY IS.....

“Don’t frustrate your children through hypocrisy.”

Don’t tell them to do one thing while you do another.

Consistency builds confidence;

inconsistency breeds confusion.

CAN SOMEBODY AGREE WITH ME.....

You can’t lead your children to a place with God that you haven’t gone yourself.

You can’t demand obedience if you’re living in rebellion.

You can’t expect faith if your home is full of fear.

WARRIOR’S WERE CONSISTENT

Ancient archers trained in repetition.

They would practice until the motion was muscle memory —

same stance,

same breath,

same draw, every time.

Because in battle, you don’t have time to think —

you just act out what you’ve trained.

OH COME ON PARENTS....I’M HELPING YOU TODAY

Your consistency in the small things is shaping your child’s instinct for life.

If they see you pray when things are hard —

they’ll learn to pray when things are hard.

If they see you forgive quickly —

they’ll learn.... grace under pressure.

Your rhythm of righteousness will become their reflex.

THEY REFLECT YOU.....

IF YOU ARE INCONSISTENT THEY WILL BE INCONSISTENT

OH THAT IS SO GOOD....

.........WORSHIP TEAM COME JOIN ME.......

4. Trust God With the Results

After all the shaping, aiming, and modeling — comes the hardest part........

THE release.

A warrior can’t win the battle by keeping the arrows in his quiver.

He has to let them go.

UNDERSTAND THIS...... Parents, release doesn’t mean neglect —

it means trust.

It means saying......

“God, I’ve done my part. Now You do what only You can do.”

Isaiah 54:13 NIV

13 All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.

CHURCH....

When you release them to God,

He takes over where your reach ends.

You can’t follow them everywhere —

BUT YOU KNOW WHO CAN.....

the Holy Spirit can.

Teaching Insight – The Warrior’s Release

In Hebrew warfare,

releasing an arrow required a controlled grip and steady breath.

Too tight OF a grip — and the shot veered off COURSE.

Too quick OF a release — and the arrow lost power AND MOMENTUM

💥 Aha Moment: sometimes your grip is what’s causing the problem.

You’re holding on too tightly —

YOUR trying to control their path instead of trusting God with their process.

Don’t crush the arrow in your hand.

Shape it, aim it,

then release it in faith.

Because the same God who gave them to you...

is faithful to guide them.

AMEN????

STAND TO YOUR FEET

Church, the next generation will rise or fall based on the faithfulness of US AS CHRISTIAN PARENTS.

YOU can NOT build a godly house and neglect the arrows that fly from it.

Parents — this is your moment to realign your aim.

Repent where you’ve been distracted.

Recommit to the mission.

Ask God to make your home a training ground for warriors...

not just a house full of activity.

Altar Call

WHEN I OPEN THESE ALTARS I CHALLENGE YOU...

If you’re a parent, I want you to come as a family or couple.

RECOMMIT YOUR ROLE TO CHRIST

SURRENDER TRYING TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN

SURRENDER TO HIS WAY...ACCORDING TO HIS WORD

And for those who don’t yet have children — pray for the generations to come.

Ask God to prepare you to be a spiritual father or mother to others in the faith.

WOULD YOU COME .....

Psalm 145:4 NIV

4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.

Let’s be the generation that raises arrows for the Kingdom —

Sharp in conviction.

Straight in character.

And surrendered to the hand of God.

LET’S BUILD KINGDOM KIDS ....AMEN

CLOSING PRAYER

“Lord, help us raise arrows that fly straight. Forgive us for where we’ve been careless. Teach us to train, love, and release them for Your purpose.”