Relationships That Work: "Families That Flourish"
Main Idea: Families are a gift from God, meant to work together for the good of our souls and to encourage us toward deeper Godliness.
Colossians 3:20–21 – “20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”
Ephesians 6:1–4 – “1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
I. Children Honor through Obedience
Exodus 20:12– “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
Proverbs 1:8-9– “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.”
II. Parents Give
1. Opportunities for obedience
2. Grace
3. Guidance
Joshua 24:15– “...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Proverbs 22:6– “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
III. Fathers Encourage, Model, and Instruct.
Ephesians 4:15 – “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,”
Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”
Ephesians 4:26-27 – “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”
Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Matthew 28:20 – “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
2 Timothy 2:2 – “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
ENCOURAGE
1. Speak Truth
2. Speak Now
3. Speak to the problem, not at the person
Proverbs 15:1– “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
4. Speak, don’t respond
MODEL
1 Corinthians 11:1– “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
INSTRUCT
Deuteronomy 6:7– “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.”