Ephesians 6:1-2a

The Chapel Fort Wayne

Ephesians 6:1-2a

Respectful Obedience

May 14, 2024 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Ephesians 6:1–2

PASSAGE: Ephesians 6:1-2a - "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother.”

PAUSE: Parents, it’s your job to train your children to obey you with a respectful attitude! They do not arrive pre-programmed to do so. In fact, just the opposite. Have you noticed? All of us are born into this world with a sinful nature. Meaning, as we are growing up we are all bent towards selfishness, disobedience and disrespect. The command in this passage is given to children to obey their parents (do what they are told) and honor them (obey them with a respectful attitude). But because young children do not do this “naturally” it is the parents’ job to train this into their hearts and lives. Can I be honest? It often appears to me that it is the children training the parents rather than the other way around! Are we training our children to pay close attention to our instruction and to obey the first time they are instructed? (Otherwise, they are training us into becoming threatening, bargaining, “I’m going to count to 3” kind of parents). And are we training them to obey with a respectful attitude? Listen to me--disrespect is disobedience! Finally, do your children see and hear you modeling respectful obedience to those in authority over you?

PRAYER: Lord, help me to be wise and consistent in lovingly training my children toward respectful obedience. For I know this will serve them well for the rest of their lives. And it will prepare them for a right relationship with You. Amen.

Proverbs 1:7

May 17, 2024 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Proverbs 1:7

PASSAGE: Proverbs 1:7 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." PAUSE: The world is going to try and raise your child from a godless, secular worldview. They will try to provide answers to life's biggest questions, and they will try to tell them right from wrong without having a solid foundation to ground their morality. They will lean on whatever is culturally acceptable--whatever is right in their own eyes. Parents, we must show our children Jesus and then show them how Jesus changes everything! When we begin understand the character of God, we can begin to understand how he is good and loving, while at the same time, perfectly wise and just. This wisdom gives us a foundation to understand right from wrong. It gives us the moral framework to understand why instruction and proper obedience is a good thing. When we begin to see the world through the lenses of God's good and perfect character, we will no longer despise the correction we need from His wisdom and instruction, but instead, it will be life-giving! PRAYER: Lord, help me to live in AWE of You and to effectively pass this on to my children. Help me to raise them up with a God-saturated worldview, to see all of life through the reality of Your Presence and Your Purpose. Amen.

Proverbs 10:9

May 16, 2024 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Proverbs 10:9

PASSAGE: Proverbs 10:9 - "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out." PAUSE: Establishing honesty in the character of your child is one of your most important jobs as a parent. It will save them from a life of trouble and prepare them to be a blessing to others. This is something I'm forever grateful that my parents instilled in me. Growing up, my brother and I would fight and argue as brothers do, but when one of us needed a straight answer from the other, we would ask "Do you promise?" This was the trump card, and we both knew it. We had an unbroken level of trust with each other, knowing that our promise meant truthfulness. No exceptions. This is the type of integrity and honesty we need to model for our children, grandchildren, and those we have an influence on. The impact of unwavering honesty will carry with them the rest of their lives. It may start as just a positive impact on a sibling relationship, but it will carry on to bring blessings in their lives and the lives of those they interact with. PRAYER: Lord, help me to model integrity to my children and then help me to help them become people of integrity. Amen.

Proverbs 22:15

May 15, 2024 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Proverbs 22:15

PASSAGE: Proverbs 22:15 - "Folly (lit. foolishness) is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline with drive it far from him." PAUSE: You do not have to teach your child to be sinful or foolish! They arrive with a selfish sinful nature that will be on display before you know it. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Now let me be clear as you consider this verse. I’m going to assume that all who read this have hearts full of love and kindness and goodness that they are ready to consistently pour into their children and grandchildren. Amen! But one key aspect of that love is the willingness to bring consistent discipline (correction) into their lives. To fail at this is to hate your children! (See Prov. 13:24). Foolish (selfish & unloving) behavior must be met with a corrective response that has teeth! The “rod” in Proverbs does not merely mean corporal punishment (spanking). It represents a corrective response from the one in authority. (That’s you parent). It should NEVER be done out of anger or in anger! (That leads to child abuse = EVIL). It is the parent, under self-control, bringing a corrective response to the child’s foolishness (lack of self-control) for the purpose teaching the child self-control. Which they will need, by the way, for the rest of their lives. PRAYER: Lord, help me to train foolish selfishness out of my child and wisdom and self-control into them. And help me to do it to myself first if I still need it. Amen.