Raising Children of God II Phil. 2:1-2 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

When raising children of God there are some things that parents need to do to foster a godly home in which children can grow. Raising children of God [ones who are saved and no longer just children of Adam and children of the devil] is not just a matter of getting them saved and taking them to church and Sunday school.  Parents need to be:

Likeminded – Phil 2:2 – you and your spouse need to determine ahead of time exactly how you are going to raise your children – you need to agree on every aspect – Amos 3:3 – can two walk together except they be agreed – children exploit the middle when you disagree – there always seems to be one parent who is merciful and one who is strict – the one who is strict appears to the one who is merciful as too severe and too harsh – the one who is merciful appears to the one who is strict to be wimpy and lenient, a push-over – children figure these two personalities out very early – so you need to be as one.

Honest – Rom 12:17 – you and your spouse need to be:

• honest before your children,
• honest with your children,
• honest about your children [foolishness is bound in the heart of a child – others have to be able to tell you the truth about your child without you getting mad about it]

Involved – Deut 6:6-9 – you and your spouse need to be involved in your children’s education, by:

• Studying with them at home – Deut 6:6-9
• Teaching them practical things – life applications
• Teaching them Bible, practical Christian living, and biblical spirituality
• Praying together

Consistent – 1 Cor 15:58 – you and your spouse need to be consistent in your discipline and consistent in your life [we talked about faithfulness last week] – you can’t have double standards of separation from the world in some things and then friendship with the world in others – don’t just come running down to the church when your family’s life is suddenly spinning out of control.

Conclusion: certainly make sure that your children are saved and then get involved – parental involvement is by far the best way to raise them up – don’t leave the job to the television, the computer, the teacher and your church – follow these four simple little rules – they will make a world of difference in your family.