Raising Children Who Truly Love God
December 15, 2024 · 2:02:52 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
This Christmas-season service centers on a sobering question every believing parent must face: will our children love and serve God for themselves, from the heart? Drawing on the story of Eli the high priest and his sons in 1 Samuel, the preacher warns that a person can be deeply involved in ministry and still raise children who do not know the Lord.
He draws out three lessons. First, teaching our children to love God is our own responsibility, not the church's or Sunday school's, just as Abraham was chosen to instruct his household and as Proverbs calls grandchildren the crown of the aged. Second, nothing corrodes a child's faith like double standards: Eli quietly took more than his portion and his sons went even further into sin, while Job and Joshua kept their homes blameless ('as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord'). Third, we must be genuinely present in our children's lives; Eli learned of his sons' evil from outsiders, while Job rose early each morning to pray for each child by name.
The service closes with a Christmas message. The birth of Christ tore open the wall between God and humanity. Born not in a palace but in the lower room of a humble home and laid in a manger, the King of kings made Himself accessible to everyone, rich or poor, shepherd or wise man, so that anyone could come, worship Him, and receive new life.
Key Points
- A person deeply involved in ministry can still raise children who do not know God; Eli's house is the warning.
- Teaching our children to love God is our own responsibility, not the church's or Sunday school's.
- Faith is meant to pass through generations; your true crown is godly grandchildren.
- Double standards quietly destroy a child's faith; keep your home blameless, like Job and like Joshua's 'as for me and my house.'
- Be truly present in your children's lives and pray for each of them by name, as Job did every morning.
- Christ was born in a humble home and laid in a manger so that everyone, rich or poor, could come to Him.
- His birth opened free access to God and offers new life and hope to all who receive Him.
Devotional
Take a quiet moment and bring each of your children, or those entrusted to you, before God by name. Ask the Lord not merely that they would attend church, but that they would love and serve Him from the heart. Examine your own home for any double standard that might quietly teach them otherwise, and ask for grace to live what you believe. The same Christ who was born in a manger so that all could come now invites you, and your whole household, to draw near.
“It is our own responsibility to teach our children to love God, not the church's and not Sunday school's, but ours.”
“Nothing corrodes a child's faith faster than double standards at home.”
“Christ was born in a manger so that everyone, rich or poor, could come and worship the King.”
