Healthy Boundaries, Healthy Relationships (11): Parental Discipline (1)
Children are blessings from God. Parents have a calling to nurture their children with love and train them in the way of the Lord. This week, Rev. Jeremiah Cheung begins a two-part message on the healthy boundaries that parents must observe to raise godly children. This sermon is part of our current series entitled “Healthy Boundaries, Healthy Relationships.” See Part 12
Sermon Notes
It’s a good thing when an individual comes to personal salvation, loves the Lord, and serves the Lord; yet God’s heart is not satisfied because God’s desire is a family. God’s heart leans towards the family, not individualism. This week, Rev. Jeremiah Cheung introduces us to three families in The Book of Acts who came to know the Lord and served the Lord as a family.
The first is the family of Cornelius. The second is Lydia’s family. The third is the family of the jailer. When Jesus was on earth, he often visited a family in Bethany because it was a family that served the Lord. There were only three people in this family – Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
Psalms 127 shows us two important principles about training children.
1. Two Principles in Child Training
a. Children are ______ from the Lord
b. Children are ______ in the hands of a warrior
2. Four Practices in Child Training
a. Awaken their spiritual _______
b. Be an _________ to them.
Note: The last two practices will be discussed in next week’s message.
Lifegroup Discussion Questions
1. Children are a heritage from the Lord. This verse is directed towards parents. What does the verse remind us of? How do you think this verse differs with our Chinese culture?
2. Children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Are arrows found in nature or are they created by the hands of men? Is your child an arrow or a piece of wood?
3. For children to be arrows in God’s hands, what should parents do?
4. How do we awaken the spiritual appetite of our children? What are the difficulties of modeling? How do we use God’s word to teach our children?
Sermon Notes — Answers
1. a) a heritage b) arrows
2. a) appetites b) example