February 26, 2014

Teaching the Next Generation

Family Portrait

It has been said before that the church is just one generation away from apostasy. This is certainly true. While there are exceptions to any rule, generally what the wise man said is accurate: “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). If we want children to follow the way of truth when they grow up, they must be taught the way of truth while they are growing up.

As we raise the next generation, we should focus on this question: Why do we believe, teach, and practice what we do? This is important. We are to “please [God] in all respects” (Colossians 1:10). The next generation must be taught to please God as well. But if we do not teach them how to do this, what will they do when they are grown?
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February 25, 2014

Bringing Up Children in the Lord (Part 3): Parents As Role Models

Bringing Up Children in the Lord

“A righteous man who walks in his integrity—how blessed are his sons after him” (Proverbs 20:7).

When we think about raising children, we might immediately think of training them. This is done through instruction and discipline. We will consider this more in the next lesson. However, what we will deal with in this lesson is necessary to lay the foundation for the next. Parents must teach by example – walking in integrity (Proverbs 20:7) – so that their children can see the way of righteousness in practice. If parents fail to do this, children will eventually come to see them as hypocrites, thus making the parents’ instruction seem to be irrelevant. Parents must “practice what they preach.” Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We must let our lights shine, especially to our children.
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February 18, 2014

Bringing Up Children in the Lord (Part 2): The Home in Which Children are Raised

Bringing Up Children in the Lord

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth…” (Genesis 1:27-28).

God’s plan from the beginning was for a man and a woman to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). By God’s design, the bringing forth of children would be carried out in marriage (Genesis 2:24). Unfortunately, this does not always work out – either through sin or tragedy – then single parents or other caretakers are left to do the best they can for the children. But the Scriptures emphasize marriage and the home. We must as well.
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February 11, 2014

Bringing Up Children in the Lord (Part 1): The Gift of Children

Bringing Up Children in the Lord

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5).

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November 20, 2013

“Few and Unpleasant” – The Years of Jacob

Jacob before Pharaoh

After Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, Pharaoh gave permission and provided the necessary resources to move Jacob and the rest of the family to Egypt (Genesis 45:16-23). When they arrived, Joseph introduced his father to Pharaoh.

“Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How many years have you lived?’ So Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.’ And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from his presence” (Genesis 47:7-10).

The fact that only one statement from Pharaoh to Jacob is recorded – the question about the patriarch’s age – is significant. Pharaoh looked upon the elder Jacob as one to be admired for his longevity. Besides this, Pharaoh would have already known that he was blessed by the number of sons that he had. Pharaoh’s initial response indicated that he believed that Jacob’s life was one that most would desire.
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August 27, 2013

Audio: Growing Number of Single Moms Who Have Never Married

God designed marriage to be between a man and a woman, and that children would be born in this relationship. Our society has long been perverting God’s plan for marriage and the home. The statistic below is a recent example of this.

Since 1960, the number of single mothers who have never married has risen from 4% to 44% (Pew Research Center report). Why are so many children being born out of wedlock? The statistics reveal some sad truths about society. This lesson examines the reasons for this sharp increase and what the Scriptures have to say about them.
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March 22, 2012

Contraceptives, Abortion, and Infanticide

Birth Control Pills

Abortion has long been a hot topic in our society. Recently, contraceptives and infanticide have joined it. The issue over contraceptives started getting a lot of attention after a Georgetown law student testified before a Congressional committee to argue that others should pay for her contraceptives. Regarding infanticide, a pair of “ethicists” have argued recently that “after-birth abortions” are reasonable and acceptable in certain cases. What these three topics have in common – contraceptives, abortion, and infanticide – is that they all have to do with human reproduction.

When addressing these issues, it is important that we do so from a Biblical perspective. Below are two verses that are good to keep in mind as we begin to consider these things:

“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6).

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5).

Man is made in the image of God. This certainly applied to the first man – Adam (Genesis 1:27) – but the verse above makes it clear that it applies to every individual that descended from Adam as well. The second passage reminds us of the fact that children are a blessing from God. Though many in our culture view children as a burden or a necessary evil, Christians are to have a different perspective and cherish each child.
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