PAUL’S PARENTING DO’S AND DON’TS
1. Don’t Exasperate Your Children
Ephesians 6:4 (NIV) Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4 (AMP) Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Your actions can exasperate your children.
Proverbs 22:24-25 (NLT)
24 Don’t befriend angry people
or associate with hot-tempered people,
25 or you will learn to be like them
and endanger your soul.
Your inactions can exasperate your children.
Proverbs 13:24 (NLT)
24 Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children.
Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.
Proverbs 29:15 (NLT)
15 To discipline a child produces wisdom,
but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
Ephesians 6:4 (NIV) Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
2. Do Build Believers
You are building your children up.
Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)
6 Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.
The Scriptures are the building blocks.
Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
There is blessing with obedience.
There is life with honor.
Jesus is the foundation for life.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 (NIV) By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:5 (NLT) I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.
3. Don’t Be A Hypocrite
Have a real faith.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT) So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Live your faith for real.
2 Timothy 3:14 (NLT) But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 (NLT) But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
4. Do Invest In Your Children’s Future
Train them for today
2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
Prepare them for tomorrow.
2 Timothy 3:17 (NLT) God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Isaiah 38:19 (NIV)
19 The living, the living—they praise you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children
about your faithfulness.
Lead them to eternity.
2 Timothy 3:15 (NLT) You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
Psalms 78:4-8 (NLT)
4 We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the LORD,
about His power and His mighty wonders.
5 For He issued His laws to Jacob;
He gave His instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
6 so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
8 Then they will not be like their ancestors—
stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
refusing to give their hearts to God.
DON’T FORGET TO EMAIL THIS WEEK’S NOTES TO YOUR INBOX! AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PREVIOUS SERMON NOTES, BROWSE OUR SERMON ARCHIVES!