Preparing Our Children for Their Future

Preparing Our Children for Their Future

Text: Mark 10:13-16

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. [1]

· The way adults behave is the fruit of what happened to them as a child

· It is your childhood that impacts your adulthood

o Painful things

o Circumstances will play a part in the child's development

We all want our children to be successful

· Doctors

· Lawyers

· Teachers

· Nurses

· Coaches

· Live in a nice house and drive nice cars

· But if they never make a commitment to serve and believe in God, then what have we taught them?

· The church is about teaching and modeling for our children a lifestyle of worshiping God

· Most Christian children will make a decision about the Lord between the ages of 4 to 14

As parents, you should not look at your kids as a burden or a challenge

Ps 127 tells us of how God views kids:

· Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.

· 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. [2]

First Point: Children are a blessing from God

· It’s a blessing to have children from God

· God wants to raise up a generation of young people who will go to the gate: the gate is a place of power, authority, decisions, power

· That our children will rise up and speak with authority at the gate the things that oppose God.

· There are a lot of things that are taught and believed that is the opposite of the Gospel

· We need to raise up a generation that will go and tell them

o It’s not true what you are promoting

o It’s not true what you are saying

o Our children are a blessing, not a burden from God.

o When they start asking questions about Jesus, then you know they are ready to learn more and accept Jesus as their Savior

Parents Responsibility:

Deut. 6:6-9: And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

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. [3]

· If God works a miracle for you, it’s not for you to keep to yourself, you have to tell your child where their faith will be elevated.

· That they will know that their parents are serving a living and awesome incredible God that God is alive and well.

o That He is the Lilly of the Valley

o That He does have Power

o That He does forgive people of their sins

o That He does answer prayers

o That he does work miracles

o Let them here you praying to God about you impossible situations

o Let them see that God will answer your prayers

Prov. 22:6: 6 Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old, he will not depart from it. [4]

· Train up means to discipline them

· Create an environment for spiritual hunger in them

· We give them an environment for TV hunger

· Music hunger

· Dancing hunger

· Video games

· But you are not creating a spiritual hunger for them

· Grandparents and grandfather, you are needed to help in raising them

· They may stray but they will come back eventually of what you put in them

Your children will model what you do and say, if you lie, they will lie

· Your phone rings, and you tell them to answer it and say you’re not here

· They saw you lie, so now you have just shown them that it’s okay to lie

Components to Raising Godly Children

Luke 2:40: 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. [5]

· Our culture is declaring what God calls wrong right and what is right is wrong

· And we are called to raise kids in this twisted culture

· The children of today face more things that people at my age and older never dreamed about facing.

· I believe that God raises up people who will be culture changers

· You have to raise your children in the ways of God, they will discover why God placed them on this planet, what God wants them to do.

It’s good to teach them about education, but we must also teach them about character,

· If we tarin our children with just education and not character, we will create monsters!

· That’s what’s wrong with our educational system

o We have taken God out

o We have taken morals out

o So, we raise educated kids who don’t know what is right or wrong

o Jesus needs to be put back in our education system

· We have to speak well over our children: don’t tell them that they will not amount to anything, but speak power and truth in them

Luke 2:22 says: And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord [6]

· They brought the child to be dedicated to God

Every parent should be bringing their child to be dedicated to the Lord

· But let me be clear, dedication is not bringing your child to be saved

· The child must make that choice for themselves.

Luke 2:39 says: 39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. [7]

· They… the parents did it together

· Just because parents may split up does not free either one of you from your parenting duties

· You don’t withhold a child from having a relationship with the father, because the father ain’t doing what you want him to do.

· The balance that, that child needs should not be up for sale.

· And if you marry someone who has kids, you should not try to hold them from having a relationship with the kids you knew he or she had.

It takes a family momma and daddy to raise a child.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mk 10:13–16). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 127:3–5). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Dt 6:6–9). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Pr 22:6). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Lk 2:40). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Lk 2:22). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Lk 2:39). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.