Online Sermons
Lesson #10 - Ten Ways To Love Your Children
Series: Home-BuildersLESSON #10 – TEN WAYS TO LOVE YOUR CHILDREN
INTRODUCTION
Although our love for our children comes naturally, our child-rearing skills often need to be enhanced and honed.
In his book, Gifts From God, Dr. David Jeremiah offers the following suggestions for communicating love to our children.
1. ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES FOR THEM!
~ Are “rules” really all that important? cf. Ex.20:1ff
- Is it better to be strict or lenient or somewhere in between?
~ Is it a parent's job to teach right from wrong?
- Simple things, like respect for elders.
- More complicated things, like morality and purity.
cf. Mk.7:21f; Rom.1:28f; 1Cor.6:9f; 1Cor.13:4f; Gal.5:19-24; Eph.4:25f; Philp.4:8-9; Col.3:5-15; 1Tim.4:11-12; 2Pet.1:5f
2. ENJOY THEM!
~ Prov.17:22 / a joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
~ Laugh together … Play together (fun times) … Be happy
3. EXPOSE OUR HUMANITY TO THEM!
~ Children need to hear their parents say, “I'm sorry. I messed up.”
4. EXPLAIN THE REASONS BEHIND OUR DECISIONS!
~ Is it always enough to say, Because I said so! ?
5. EXCHANGE IDEAS WITH THEM!
~ This let's them know how really special they are!
6. ENCOURAGE THEM!
~ “Encouragement in massive does is probably the best thing can give our kids...”
7. HELP THEM TO BELIEVE THEY CAN GO FURTHER THAN THEY DREAM!
~ Are “C’s” acceptable when they could be “B's” or “A's”?
~ Children need to be challenged!
8. PHYSICALLY EXPRESS WHAT WE FEEL IN OUR HEARTS!
~ “Four hugs a day - - chase the blues away.”
~ Elation & Joy … Sadness, Sorrow & Suffering … Heartache & Hope … Excitement & Disappointment … Etc.
9. EXAMINE OUR OWN LIVES REGULARLY!
~ Are we providing a Christian model for them: a mother and father who love God & Jesus supremely.
~ Eph.6:4 / Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
~ The best gift a father can give their child is to truly love their mother (and vice-versa).
10. EXERCISE GREAT PATIENCE WITH THEM!
~ Heb.12:7b / What son is there whom his father does not discipline?
- Gentle - - like a nursing mother (1Thess.2:7).
- Exhorting, encouraging & imploring - - like a faithful father (1Thess.2:11).
~ Long-suffering … Patient … Forgiving … Forbearing … Persevering.
