Raising Your Family for God

Introduction:
1. Make some opening comments about Father’s Day – maybe even ask about the qualities and/or characteristics in your dad that helped you!
2. The title of our Case Study is: Raising Your Family for God.
[read Psalm 127]
- let’s review the message you’ve just heard or are about to hear
* Four descriptions to help us recognize the importance of raising godly families.

I. Children are Like a House that Needs to Be Well Built.

- Solomon says...if the Lord is building the house, that’s what the family will be like...
A. On the foundation of Jesus Christ.
- the apostle Paul used this metaphor of life being like building a house when he said:
• 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 - According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Q: What’s most important in your home – having things, doing things, or a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ?
Input: Contrast these two homes - -what would each look like on a day-to-day basis?
[various answers]
B. Using Godly building materials.
- in the verse we quoted a moment ago, Paul said... 1 Corinthians 3:10...But each man must be careful how he builds on it...
Input: What ‘building materials’ does God offer? What does the world offer?
 God: fruit of the Spirit----love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, and self-control....all of that requires dependence on the Lord...
 World: lust, impatience, anger, and pride...
C. Using biblical principles of construction.
Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Input: What are some major truths that we ought to be teaching in our homes?
- homes the Lord is building are places where there is plenty of teaching from God’s Word
...children are taught right from wrong...
- they are taught about the reality of sin... God’s grace and forgiveness in Christ...
- they are taught biblical values...they are taught to respect their elders...
- they are taught to love and value others...examine their hearts...
- they are taught how to communicate and solve problems...how to grow...
- and all of this is done, not necessarily in a sterile or formal environment, but in the rough and tumble of everyday life...it’s a place of teaching...
- young people who are growing up in this environment and you are not responding well to it...the Bible has a word for you...fool...
Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father’s instruction: but he that regards reproof is prudent.
- if your father is still alive and he raised you this way...it would be a good idea to thank him for that especially today...if he was a godly man, whether you understood it or not, the Lord was building your house...
- what’s the next picture?...

II. Children are Like a City that Needs to be Carefully Guarded.

- since next week we plan to talk especially about the importance of guarding your families from harmful influences, I’ll just say here that the level of attack on the institution of the family is unprecedented in the history of our country...
- that is why it is so important for families to be consciously looking for ways for the Lord to be building the house...otherwise the watchman wakes but in vain...
- now, let’s think about some application points of what we’ve seen so far in addition to what we’ve already said...
1. Parents, I would encourage you to get all the help you can. (FBI Classes, books, other families)
2. Consider the implications of this from a ministry perspective...
Input: What are some ways we can reach out to families around us?
 VBS
 Community PigRoast
- now, what’s the third description...

III. Children are a Gift and a Reward from God.

Input: What should be a parent’s response to having this gift?
 Thankfulness, responsibility, stewardship, etc.
- the text ends by saying...

IV. Children are Like an Arrow in the Hand of a Skilled Archer.

* Give some examples in the following areas of how or what we teach our children and how that can impact their friends
 Responding to authority
 Being a servant
 Finances
 Communication
 Solving Problems

Embracing the Adventure of a Growing Family
Raising Your Family for God – Psalm 127
Introduction:
* Four descriptions to help us recognize the importance of raising godly families.

I. Children are Like a House that Needs to Be Well __________.
A. On the _______________ of Jesus Christ.
Input: Contrast these two homes - -what would each look like on a day-to-day basis?

B. Using Godly ____________ _____________.

Input: What ‘building materials’ does God offer? What does the world offer?

C. Using biblical principles of ______________.
Input: What are some major truths that we ought to be teaching in our homes?

II. Children are Like a City that Needs to be ____________ ___________.
1. Get all the help you can.
2. Consider the implications of this from a ministry perspective.
Input: What are some ways we can reach out to families around us?

III. Children are a _________ and a ____________ from God.
Input: What should be a parent’s response to having this gift?

IV. Children are Like an ____________ in the Hand of a Skilled Archer.
* Give some examples in the following areas of how or what we teach our children and how that can impact their friends
 Responding to authority
 Being a servant
 Finances
 Communication
 Solving Problems

Embracing the Adventure of a Growing Family
Raising Your Family for God – Psalm 127
* Four descriptions to help us recognize the importance of raising godly families.
I. Children are Like a House that Needs to Be Well Built.
A. On the foundation of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
Input: Contrast these two homes - -what would each look like on a day-to-day basis?
B. Using Godly building materials.
1 Corinthians 3:10...But each man must be careful how he builds on it...
Input: What ‘building materials’ does God offer? What does the world offer?
 God: fruit of the Spirit----love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, and self-control....all of that requires dependence on the Lord...
 World: lust, impatience, anger, and pride...
C. Using biblical principles of construction.
Ephesians 6:4
Input: What are some major truths that we ought to be teaching in our homes?
II. Children are Like a City that Needs to be Carefully Guarded.
1. Get all the help you can.
2. Consider the implications of this from a ministry perspective.
Input: What are some ways we can reach out to families around us?
III. Children are a Gift and a Reward from God.
Input: What should be a parent’s response to having this gift?

IV. Children are Like an Arrow in the Hand of a Skilled Archer.
* Give some examples in the following areas of how or what we teach our children and how that can impact their friends
 Responding to authority
 Being a servant
 Finances
 Communication
 Solving Problems

Case Study #6 – Fathers Day!
Jake and his son Jake, Jr., whom his parents called “Junior” since he was little, run an automotive engine repair shop together. They have some differences about the best way to repair engines and charging customers. Jake was in the business for years before making Junior a partner. He has really tried to go out of his way to satisfy the customers by doing little extra things for them without charging, especially if all it required was his time. Junior sees this as hurting them financially and tends to keep them behind schedule in their work as these requests usually come up when the customer picks up the car and is willing to wait a few minutes for Jake to do the little job. Junior has been to tech school and brings to the shop many helpful techniques which his Dad does not seem to understand. When these skills are used, Junior has a list of prices for each one performed. If added into the work done for the customer, he insists on making certain the charges are also included in the total billing – in spite of Dad’s attitude about the small ones.
One day, Junior ‘lost it’ right in front of a customer when his dad walked up, thanked the customer for bringing in her car, and then proceeded to tell her there would be ‘no charge’ to her small request she had just made. What Jake didn’t know was that Junior has already discussed the charges on the phone with the customer, and a small fee had already been added to the bill. This was the 4th time Jake had done this in the past month, and that Junior had responded in this way.
When Junior is at home, he talks to his Mom about Jake’s way of running the business and claims what Dad is doing will hurt the business. He tells Mom he was taught is school that the little things Dad does for people have been what runs small businesses like theirs out of business. The school stated that no business would ever last over 15 years doing this, even though Jake has been in business for 40 years. Mom talks to Junior’s oldest brother, who operates his own small business, and puts a lot of pressure on him to talk to Dad about this problem. They are all Christians and know what God’s Word says about how to solve problems.
All this seems to create a measure of tension in the home when anything about cars or business becomes the subject of conversation.

1. How would Matthew 7:1-5 apply to each person? What ‘log’ needs to be gotten out of each person’s eye?
- each person needs to get the log out of his own eye
- Jake – failing to communicate and ‘nail down’ a policy
- Junior – for his sinful anger
- Mom – listening to Junior complain about her husband without going with him

2. Discuss how various aspects of the fruit of the Spirit could help in this situation:
Love – seeking what is best for the glory of God and the good of the other person
Joy – knowing that we are pleasing God
Peace – solving problems quickly and biblically
Self-control – not ‘loosing it’ – but allowing truth to impact the way we solve problems
Gentleness – avoiding the harshness

3. What truths from God’s Word should be brought into this situation?
Communication
God’s grace
Asking forgiveness
Sinful anger
Salt & Light trust from Matthew 5
Respect for authority
Dealing with issues in the heart

4. What are the ministry implications of this situation and/or the business itself?

- Discuss the testimony to the lady who saw Junior ‘blow –up’ in front of her
- Jake has a point about customer service and being a servant
- Junior has a point about the overall business plan

5. How should Psalm 127’s emphasis on children being a ‘gift from the Lord’ factor into Jake’s thinking?
- Jake does need to sit down with his son and discuss these issues – with the idea that his son may be right and he could/should listen to him
- Work at solving this problem so the joy can be restored to their relationship

6. How can they use these issues to build family unity.
- Learning to communicate better as a family
- The sons/wife being careful to honor Jake
- Jake not becoming proud and thinking that is always right or doesn’t’ have anything to learn
7. What impact can this situation have on Jake’s future grandchildren and other members of his family.
- the law of the harvest – the influence of these two men on other members of the family, other business men in the community, co-workers etc.
Other questions/comments: