Year of the Family

“Love Your Kids!” Genesis Texts

“At retirement parties, people give testimonials to departing long-time employees…there are tears…and tales of triumph. Retirement parties are good opportunities for people to know how their close associates view them. There are no retirement festivities or farewell banquets though for parents. Take it from me, the job is never done…”

Good Parenting… Not So Good Parenting…

to better understand what all is behind loving your kids Purpose: to better understand what all is behind loving your kids

I LOVE BY DEVELOPING A. Understand Your Child

James 1:19 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”

Listening, understanding parents will raise kids with a healthy self-respect…

I LOVING BY DEVELOPING A. Understand Your Child B. Secure Your Child

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”

“For those whom the Lord loves he disciplines.” Hebrews 12:6 “For those whom the Lord loves he disciplines.”

I LOVE BY DEVELOPING A. Understand Your Child B. Secure Your Child C. Affirm Your Child

II LOVE BY MODELING A. God Instructs Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac

Abraham was instructed by God to take Isaac to Mt Abraham was instructed by God to take Isaac to Mt. Moriah and offer Isaac as a sacrifice…

II LOVE BY MODELING A. God Instructs Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac B. Abraham Offers His Son

Genesis 22:12 “And He said, ‘Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’”

God instructed Abraham to take Isaac to Mt God instructed Abraham to take Isaac to Mt. Moriah and sacrifice his son, Isaac… Isaac never forgot that experience and learned on that day a lesson that transformed his life…

III LOVE BY BUILDING

Genesis 12:8 “Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.”

III LOVE BY BUILDING A. Abraham Pitched His Tent

Hebrews 11:9-10 “By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God.”

III LOVE BY BUILDING A. Abraham Pitched His Tent B. Abraham Built and Altar

Genesis 13:8-12 “Then Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me: if to the left, then I will go to the right…’ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere… Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom.”

The Max Jukes Family 1. 440 lived in outright debauchery 310 were vagrants 190 were prostitutes 130 were convicted criminals 100 were alcoholics 100 plus were habitual thieves 55 suffered from STD’s 7 were convicted murders

The Jonathan Edwards Family 1. 300 were preachers/missionaries/theo. 120 were professors 110 were attorneys at law 60 were medical doctors 30 were judges 14 were university presidents 3 were members of the US Congress 1 was vice president of the US

Summary and Conclusion: Make no mistake, parents who prepare their kids by developing the right self image, by modeling the right trust/faith, by building the right kind of legacy are on the biblical track. These are the kind of parents who will make the difference in time and eternity. These are the parents who really do love their kids!