What Children Need

A man shopping in his grocery store one day and noticed a lady with her 2 year-old in her cart. The child asked for cookies but her mother said no. The little girl began to cry loudly. The mother patiently said, "Now Missy, we’re half-way done, it won’t be long." The same thing happened in the candy aisle. This time the little girl kicked and screamed. The mother said, "There, there, Missy, only two more aisles and then we’ll be done." At the checkout counter, the child reached for the gum. When her mom said no she began to scream louder than ever. The mother said patiently, "Missy, we’ll be through this checkout stand in five minutes and then we can go home and both have a nice nap." The man followed them out to the parking lot and complimented the woman. He said, "Mam, I couldn’t help noticing how patient you were with little Missy." The mother replied, "Thank you, but, my little girl is Francine... I’m Missy."

Well parenting is a challenging task – and it’s a challenging task every day! As we conclude our Bringing Life To Your Home series, let’s look at what children need. There are 3 vital things they need. The 1st thing they need:

1. They Need A Godly Home. (Joshua 24:14-15)

- In Joshua 24:14-15 Joshua gathered Israel together at an important historic religious site…Shechem…and recounted their history to them as he gave them his farewell address. This would be the last time he would address the nation.

- After recounting their history and all God had done for them, Joshua delivered these words to them…Joshua 24:14-15 …

Joshua 24:14–15 NASB95

“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

- Joshua knew the importance of a Godly home.

- He knew the truth of what Jesus taught in Matthew 7:24-27 …

Matthew 7:24–27 NASB95

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

- Joshua built his family on the Rock of God!

- It’s pretty clear that Joshua’s children had a drug problem – drug to church every week and every time the door’s were open! You see he raised his children in a Godly home!

- What do children need today? They need a Godly home – a home that is protected and safe from the crazy world out there = and this is built on the Rock of God!

TS – The 2nd thing they need…

2. They Need A Godly Heritage. (1 Samuel 1)

- In 1 Samuel chapter 1 we find the story of Hannah who was barren and unable to have children. Year after year she was burdened and grieved with this inability. And finally 1 year when she and her husband went to the Tabernacle of God to worship (God’s house of worship in her day), Hannah poured her heart out to God – pleading with Him to bless her with a child – and she made a solemn vow to the Lord in 1 Samuel 1:10-11 …

1 Samuel 1:10–11 NASB95

She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”

- And God granted her prayer and she became pregnant and bore a son whom she named Samuel. And she followed through with her vow and dedicated him to the Lord…1 Samuel 1:24-28 …

1 Samuel 1:24–28 NASB95

Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. “For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. “So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

- What a heritage she gave her son – dedicating him to the Lord – and then bringing him to the Tabernacle probably at the age of 3 to serve the Lord - and no doubt telling him about this when he was old enough to understood. And the heritage of a Godly praying mom!

- And look at how he turned out! He became a great man of God and leader in Israel and servant of the Lord that God used in a great way.

- What do children need today? A great Godly heritage!

TS – The 3rd thing children need today:

3. They Need A Godly Heart. (Mark 7:20-23)

- Jesus teaches in Mark 7:20-23 that the heart is the real problem in life – that which defiles the individual – it’s not the stuff from the outside but that which is on the inside…He says in discussing with his disciples…Mark 7:20-23

Mark 7:20–23 NASB95

And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. “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. “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

- So as Christian parents, we need to work to lead our children to the Lord for salvation – so they can have a heart change – so that they can become a new creation as 2 Cor. 5:17 says…

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB95

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

- And then we need to be committed to instructing them – teaching them God’s Word and God’s ways…

- Oh how we need to desire for our children to have a heart for God…and to grow Him!And to love Him and serve Him and live for Him.

- What do children need today? They need a heart for God!

Conclusion

BILLY GRAHAM said: "Children will invariably talk, eat, walk, think, respond, and act like their parents. Give them a target to shoot at. Give them a goal to work toward. Give them a pattern that they can see clearly, and you give them something that gold and silver cannot buy."

Parents what are you giving your child (ren)?

Give them a Godly Home…give them a Godly Heritage…and help them to have a Godly heart! And you will give them something that gold and silver can’t buy!