Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Principles of Parenting, Part 1 Selected Proverbs God’s mandate to man: subdue and rule over the earth - Genesis 1:26-30 God fashioned the woman to be man’s helpmeet in fulfilling God’s commands to man - Gen. 2 Men & women have equal standing before God, but have different characteristics and roles

Principles of Parenting, Part 1 Selected Proverbs The many expressions of foolishness are usually founded upon selfishness, pride & wickedness Repentance, humility and unselfishness are three key solutions to most foolishness

Responsibility Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Parents are responsible to love God and teach their children about Him & His laws Proverbs 1:8 - both father and mother are responsible for rearing the children

Keeping Family Priorities A successful family begins with a marriage that strives to fulfill God’s purposes You cannot be a better father or mother than you are a husband or wife You must be a godly example to your children even in a difficult or failing marriage

Keeping Family Priorities Concentrating on your parental role to the neglect of your spouse is foolishness that tears a home down Men, find ways to rescue your wife from “mommy mode” – Do not neglect your marriage or let her do so

Keeping Family Priorities Get over the idea that only you can care for your children Do not treat your husband like another child in the home - respect him as God commands Your husband is ultimately responsible for the children, so talk, listen, and follow Learn to encourage your husband in his role - especially if he tends to be passive

Keeping Family Priorities Keep the proper priorities so that your children are blessing and not a curse to you and others

Which Wisdom? All good parents want to raise wise and responsible children, but what kind of wisdom? Godly wisdom is a blessing to all, but worldly wisdom brings a heap of trouble James 3:15-17 Contrasting consequences of earthly wisdom and the wisdom from above

Which Wisdom? The worldly wise are blinded to the truth and think their foolishness is superior - 1 Cor. 1:19-25 The worldly wise may be intelligent with advance degrees, but they are dangerous scoffers - Ps. 1

Which Wisdom? The influence of the worldly wise has been destructive to the family and to all of society The Lord’s people must have godly goals lest they get swallowed up by the ungodly culture

Goals The greatest desire of Christian parents is that their children will be genuine Christians You cannot save your children, but you can lay the foundation for the Holy Spirit’s work Diligently pray for your children, teach them about God and how to follow His commands

Goals The successful Christian parent must first love the Lord with all their heart, soul and might Do not allow your parenting practices to cause you to neglect your personal walk with God Diligently teach your children about God and His commands in all the various situations of life - Dt. 6:7

Goals Think about and plan activities so that you are proactive and not just reactive to what happens The first element of foolishness in Christian parenting is having the wrong primary goal

Teaching about God from Proverbs The Lord is in control : God’s sovereignty is a critical concept to bring about human humility Every good thing comes from Him (James 1:17), but no evil (Ps. 5:4; Hab. 1:12) Proverbs 16:9; 16:33; 21:1 (See also Prov. 16:1; 19:21; 20:24)

Teaching about God from Proverbs 2) The Lord knows your heart - God omniscience puts a check on wickedness - Proverbs 15:3; 17:3; 21:2 (See also 5:21; 16:2 & Psalm 139)

Teaching about God from Proverbs 3) Things the Lord hates - Knowledge of what God considers sin is used to bring conviction Proverbs 6:16-19

Teaching about God from Proverbs 4) The Lord cares for the righteous - He is compassionate - Prov. 28:13 Attentive - 15:29; Provides - 10:3; Protects - 10:29-30

Teaching about God from Proverbs 5) The Lord can be trusted - for the present & eternity Proverbs 3:5-8 (See also Proverbs 16:20; 22:17-19; 29:25)

Teaching about God from Proverbs The Lord desires you to be righteous - Proverbs 21:3 The discipline of the Lord is a good thing - Proverbs 3:11-12

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ