1. Obedience vs. Willfulness
Quickly and cheerfully carrying out the directions of those who are responsible for me.

2. Discipline is most common tool for teaching obedience.
Obedience must start when we are children. Children must understand the purpose of the guidelines and the consequences for failing to obey them.
Learning obedience when we are old is three times as hard as when we are young. Obedience is better learned when one is humbled.
Discipline is most common tool for teaching obedience.

3. Obedience has an outcome of:
Protection: Obedience is taught to protect the person before they get hurt.
Provision: People that are obedient are more likely to get their provision met.
Direction: People that are obedient will gain relationships that will help them in the directions for their life.
Obedience is doing what you are told without grumbling.

4. Obedience is taught in the playpen, not in the state pen.
People that don’t learn obedience as children will be forced to learn it as adults. You must learn:
How to obey: What is your attitude towards obedience?
Whom to obey: When is it dangerous to obey those whom you don’t know?
When to obey: When should you not obey?

5. Act promptly: Get the task done as fast and efficient as you can.
How to obey:
Listen: Listen to what is being asked of you, make sure you have clear and precise instruction.
Be polite: Smile and be kind, even if you don’t like what they asked you to do. This shows respect and willingness to submit to authority. Smiles normally make others smile, and this eliminates many debates.
Act promptly: Get the task done as fast and efficient as you can.

6. Christ knew more than his parents, and yet he obeyed them.
Whom to obey:
Those in authority: Obey those that have rule over you.
a) Parents
b) Law enforcement
c) Spiritual leaders and counselors
e) Teachers and ones educating you
f) People that love you, and are caring for you
g) Those you respect
Christ knew more than his parents, and yet he obeyed them.

7. When to obey: We like to obey when convenient for us,
We like to obey when we know we can trust.
When people are mean and they can’t smile at all,
We really don’t care to hear when they call.
I want to obey when it’s easy for me,
It hurts to know they really can’t see.
If I give the orders and they heed my call,
We wouldn’t have any problems at all.
But the matter at hand is I need to obey,
And listen to those whom the Lord puts in my way.

8. Let thy child’s first lesson be obedience, and the second will be what thou wilt_Benjamin Franklin
You have not really learned a commandment until you have obeyed it. The church suffers from Christians who know volumes more than they practice. Vance Havner

9. Obedience is not just listening to others and obeying, it is also listening to your heart and obeying.
Discipline is the ability to know what is right and be obedient to that. We need to train the mind, and the heart to obey what is right no matter who is giving the order.
Pride is the main block that stands in between obedience and rebellion. You can still be in rebellion while you are obedient.

10. Group: Do you like to be told what to do? _________
How do you like to be told? ___________________________________
Who do you want telling you what to do? _________________________
How do you respond when you are forced to obey? _________________
What does it take to get you to obey when you don’t want to? _________
Do you like to tell people what to do? ____________________________
Does it make a difference how you tell others what to do? ____________
Give a list of the things you would do to get someone to do something if they didn’t want to do it.

11. Jadon was heading for the street at the end of the drive when his mother cried out, “don’t you go in the street.” Jadon responded, “I’ll be careful” and kept on walking to the road. His mother yelled at him one more time and said, “do not go in the road.” Jadon now replied, “ All right,” but kept on heading towards it. He was smiling as he ran straight ahead.
Cars were speeding down the road when Jadon’s mom ran toward the street to stop her son.
What do you see that might happen to Jadon?
How could this have been stopped?
Who was to blame?
Obedience has to be taught before it can be learned.
Who’s teaching it, the family or the law?