Parents, I'll Make a Deal With You

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Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

I love being a student pastor. I love being Cross Culture Church's student pastor. I work with a whole team that loves students. We get the opportunity to hangout and influence the next generation. How cool is that? We teach the Bible, make progress in student's walks with Christ, have fun, and encourage each other. But here is the thing, we have a very limited amount of time with your student.

Waking hours in a week: 119

• Hours in school: 40
• Hours in extra-curricular activities: 10
• Waking Hours at home: 57
• Hours texting/snap chatting a week: probably 8+
• Hours in Church: 4

7 Ways to Train Your Kids

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7) Train them to carefully select friends. 

The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20

6) Train them to be generous.

A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water. Proverbs 11: 25

5) Train them to be responsible. 

Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. Without leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8

4) Train them to guard their minds. 

Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Proverbs 4:23

Parents Priority Step 2: Lead Our Families

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Just having a little fun!

A Parent's priority is to gradually transfer a child's dependence away from them until it rests solely on God. -Craig Groeschel

Ok... How do we transfer dependance? I'm going to give us two steps out of Deuteronomy 6.

1. Love Our God
2. Lead Our Families

These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Basically, God is saying, "In everything you do and everywhere you go I'm supposed to be in your life." God-like talk isn’t just a Sunday morning thing. It's an all the time thing. Our children have to see our Christian walk as something we are, not something we do. And if we're not the ones taking the lead on living out Christ... they usually won't. Why? Because, parents, you are the leaders of your family.

Parent's Priority Step 1: Love God

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Um... Not exactly what I'm talking about, but still hilarious.

A Parent's priority is to gradually transfer a child's dependence away from them until it rests solely on God. -Craig Groeschel

How do we properly make that transfer? Step 1...

Love Our God With All We Have

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5

If there is one thing I can pick up from that verse, it's that God wants every part of our lives. The word, all is used 3 times! God doesn't want a small piece of our life. He wants it all. Our children will recognize if God is a thing that we do rather than a way we live our lives. We can't expect them to live devoted to God if we're not first setting the example.

I heard a message by Craig Groeschel, the Pastor of LifeChurch.tv, where he stated that it is dangerous to give our children a little bit of Christ. He argues that if God is only a part of your family identity then you're essentially immunizing your children to God's power.

Though Immunizations bring up bad memories of almost passing out as a seventeen year old at the health clinic, they also serve as a sobering illustration of what a little bit of God in our families can do. Immunizations work because the doctor gives you a little bit of the virus. Your immune system kicks in and learns how to destroy the virus, then you become immune.

Christian living isn't just a Sunday morning thing. It has to be an all day, all the time effort. If we want our children to become immune to the Gospel and immune to the radical power of Christ, give them a little bit of Jesus. Our lack of commitment to Christ sends a message to our kids that God or church is a, "Thing" we do.