As we “Parent with purpose,” we have seen that we need to Teach our children, God’s purpose, God’s Word, and to trust God. We do this so that we can teach our children to obey God according to Psalm 78:7b-8 “… Keep His commandments; and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.” We need to help our children build their own set of convictions built on God’s Word. It is not enough for them to know the Word of God, we must teach them to apply those truths to their lives so that their obedience comes from the heart, not from an outside compulsion. When Daniel and his friends were taken out of Israel, by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, they purposed in their heart that they would sin against God. In order to make that decision, they had to first of all know what God said, and what would defile them. As young men (probably 13-16 yrs old), they had learned and embraced those truths for themselves. We can logically assume that since they did not have public schools, … READ MORE

As we practice “Parenting with Purpose” Psalm 78 reminds us that we must not only teach children of God’s greatness (Psalm 78:14), and Teach our children God’s Word (Psalm 78:5-7), we must also teach our children to trust God (Psalm 78:7). One of the key ways we do this is by trusting God ourselves, and sharing stories to our children about God’s faithfulness with them. These verses tell how God forgot about the Lord’s work, but how could they forget? It is easy to forget what you don’t teach and reinforce. When God parted the Jordan for Israel to pass through, Joshua set up stones to commemorate God’s mighty acts so future generations would remember (Josh 4:20-24). It is important to remember, and remind ourselves of how God has provided for us in the past, because He is the same God who will provide for us in the future. While God doesn’t always provide in the same way, it is sufficient to remember that He will provide for us out of His great love and concern for His children. Trust is built on the confidence we have in the word of the one who makes the promise with us. God … READ MORE

David said in Psalm 119:1, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Today most adults do not routinely memorize the Word of God. Yet, without that Word hidden in their lives we can not apply the second principle that Psalm 78:1-8 shares, which is found in verses 5-7, “To make know to their children” the truth of God’s Word. We must be involved in sharing with our children the Word of God so that they in turn can impact future generations with that same truth. But in order to do that we must know, understand, and apply it to our own lives. We need to remember that every church, community, and society is only one generation removed from error. One of the realities of our country is that for generations, one of the consistent books used to teach and instruct children, even in our education system, was the Word of God. It should come as no surprise to us, that the removal of God and the Bible from our schools, and court systems goes hand in hand with the decline of this country morally. It has all really happened in one generation, … READ MORE