HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PARENT

TEXT- DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9

INTRODUCTION

AN EXPERIENCED PARENT SAID, "BEFORE I GOT MARRIED, I HAD SIX THEORIES ABOUT BRINGING UP CHILDREN; NOW I HAVE SIX CHILDREN, AND NO THEORIES!"

THE TASK OF PARENTING CAN SOMETIMES SEEM OVERWHELMING. AS WE LOOK FOR HELP, WE FIND BOOKSTORES JAMMED WITH "HOW TO" VOLUMES BY RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR ADVISORS. YET, WHEN WE SEARCH THE BIBLE FOR SPECIFIC GUIDANCE, WE FIND FEW PASSAGES THAT TELL US EXACTLY WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT.

THIS  MORNING OUR  TEXT  IS FOUND IN DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9 AND THE TITLE OF MY SERMON IS, "HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PARENT."

HAVE  YOU EVER WONDERED WHY BEING A PARENT IS SO IMPORTANT?

GREAT  MEN MIGHT MAKE FAR REACHING DECISIONS BUT PARENTS   SET   THE   COURSE   OF  A  WHOLE  NEW GENERATION.

PARENTS  HAVE AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR CHILDREN AND TO SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.

THEY  ARE  RESPONSIBLE TO THEIR CHILDREN BECAUSE ONE  DAY  THEY  ARE GOING TO LIVE FOREVER EITHER IN HEAVEN OR HELL.

THEY  ARE  RESPONSIBLE TO SOCIETY BECAUSE BEFORE THEIR   CHILDREN  LEAVE  THIS  WORLD  THEY  WILL EITHER  LEAVE  A TRAIL OF BLESSING OR A TRAIL OF RUIN  BEHIND  THEM  AND  WILL  PLAY  A  PART  IN SHAPING THE GENERATION TO COME.

NEVER   BEFORE  HAS  PARENTING  BEEN  A  GREATER CHALLENGE THAN IN OUR OWN DAY AND TIME.

A POPULAR PIZZA RESTAURANT THAT CATERS TO CHILDREN ADVERTISES ITSELF AS "A PLACE WHERE A KID CAN BE A KID." ACTUALLY, A CHILD SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE A CHILD ANYWHERE.

BUT CREATING A CHILD'S WORLD GOES BEYOND LETTING A KID BE A KID. PARENTS MUST UNDERSTAND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IN GUIDING THAT CHILD. AND FOR THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PARENTING.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL PARENTS?

THIS  MORNING  I  WOULD LIKE US TO EXAMINE THREE PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIAN PARENTING.