Parents.

• 1. Receive their children from God. Ge 33:5; 1Sa 1:27; Ps 127:3.
  • 1 Samuel 1:27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD has granted me the petition that I made to him.
  • Psalm 127:3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
• 2. Their duty to their children is
• a. To love them. Ti 2:4.
  • Titus 2:4. so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
• b. To bring them to Christ. Mt 19:13, 14.
• c. To train them up for God. Pr 22:6; Eph 6:4.
  • Proverbs 22:6 Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.
  • Ephesians 6:4 And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
• d. To instruct them in God’s word. De 4:9; 11:19; Isa 38:19.
  • Deuteronomy 11:19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.
• e. To tell them of God’s judgments. Joe 1:3.
• f. To tell them of the miraculous works of God. Ex 10:2; Ps 78:4.
  • Psalm 78:4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.
• g. To command them to obey God. De 32:46; 1Ch 28:9.
• h. To bless them. Ge 48:15; Heb 11:20.
• i. To pity them. Ps 103:13.
  • Psalm 103:13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
• j. To provide for them. Job 42:15; 2Co 12:14; 1Ti 5:8.
  • 1 Timothy 5:8 And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
• k. To rule them. 1Ti 3:4,12.
• l. To correct them. Pr 13:24; 19:18; 23:13; 29:17; Heb 12:7.
  • Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your children, and they will give you rest; they will give delight to your heart.
• m. Not to provoke them. Eph 6:4; Col 3:21.
  • Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.
• n. Not to make unholy connections for them. Ge 24:1-4; 28:1,2.
• 3. Wicked children, a cause of grief to. Pr 10:1; 17:25.
• 4. Should pray for their children
• a. For their spiritual welfare. Ge 17:18; 1Ch 29:19.
• b. When in temptation. Job 1:5.
• c. When in sickness. 2Sa 12:16; Mr 5:23; Joh 4:46,49.
• 5. When Faithful
• a. Are blessed by their children. Pr 31:28.
• b. Leave a blessing to their children. Ps 112:2; Pr 11:21; Isa 65:23.
• 6. Sins of parents, visited on their children. Ex 20:5; Isa 14:20; La 5:7.
• 7. Negligence of parents, sorely punished. 1Sa 3:13.
• 8. When wicked
• a. Instruct their children in evil. Jer 9:14; 1Pe 1:18.
• b. Set a bad example to their children. Eze 20:18; Am 2:4.

Exodus 20v12

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you

Mark 7v9-10

Then Jesus said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is Coban’ (that is, an offering to God)— 12 then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this.”

Ephesians 6v1-4

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—this is the first commandment with a promise: 3 “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” 4 And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Colossians 3v20-21

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart

Psalm 27v10

If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up.

Matthew 10v34-39

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

• 1. How are you honouring your parents?
  • What difference does living abroad make to this?
  • How do we balance love for parents with putting God first?
• 2. How are you bringing up your children?
• 3. How are you supporting others in these tasks?
• 4. How is your understanding of God affected by your experience of your parents or by being a parent?
• 5. How should the way God relates to us help us understand how parents & children should relate?