May 11, 2008 is a day when we celebrate Moms. What I want to spend a moment talking about in this article is parenting as a whole, both mom and dad, or just mom, or just dad, if that is your current home situation.
There is a misunderstanding that seems to have so quietly crept into the church that says it is the churches’ job to disciple(teach and instruct) kids and students about the Bible, doing good deeds(ministry), worship, etc. To that end for many parents, they leave that responsibility to the staff and teachers of their church.
The problem with that, is that it is not biblical. The Bible is very clear that it is the job of the parents to instruct their children (See Deut. 6:1-9, Eph. 6:1-4). It is the churches’ job to HELP you the parent to do what the Bible has commanded that you do.
So what is it you the parent are doing to train and instruct you child(ren) in the way they should go? Do you pray with your child? Do you read the Bible with your child? One area I see in our church is in the area of worship. How many of you put your kids in Sunday School while you go to worship? How are our kids supposed to learn worship if they do not see us the parents worshipping? How are you to learn what the Bible says so you can instruct your children if you are not in a Bible study yourself?
As parents of the next generation, it is time for you to shoulder the tremendous responsibility of training and instructing your children about spiritual matters. Don’t be afraid! The church will be here with and will help you in anyway it can, because that is the churches’ responsibility.
Your Servant,
Pastor Rich
