My friend Steve had started a new church plant and invited me to preach on “The Family and Christian Education.” My wife, our three kids and I joined the small church of over 30 adults, youth and kids as they met in a local Chinese restaurant that had graciously allowed them the use of the facilities on Sunday mornings.
I had selected Deuteronomy 6 as the passage to preach from. It contained the mandate God has for parents, as well as the reasoning, method, and goal of parenting children in the faith.
Later as I shared how significant I thought it was that Moses spoke to parents first when he began his sermon in Deuteronomy, I noticed Nathan scribbling hard, hardly even stopping to take any break. I wonder what he’s working on.
“Moses knew that the people of Israel needed to see beyond their own generation. God’s purpose included their pursuing God wholeheartedly and reproducing this faith in their own homes.” I noticed a couple who was staring at Nathan.
“The key to making sure that faith is being passed on to your kids is to be intentional and yet informal.” My wife Betty who was seated next to Nathan had peeked a glance at Nathan’s papers and was smiling. What’s going on?
“The church’s role is to facilitate the equipping of parents to teach their children, and not to take over the task on behalf of the parents.” Nathan had stopped and was looking at me with a satisfied grin. So, he’s pleased with himself? I need to have a talk with him.
When I finally finished the sermon, I have to confess that in my mind I was already working on a new one that had in mind a specific person as audience.
Betty brought Nathan over to me and asked if I was curious to know what Nathan was working on. Of course, I was curious! What’s going on? Then Nathan showed me several pages of notes that he had written down. Nathan had been taking notes from the sermon!
God surprised me that day. He allowed me a glimpse into the kind of man my son would one day be—someone who took God’s Word and his father’s words to heart. My prayer is that we will all become that kind of parent to our kids, in spite of ourselves.
I knew many of the children there and was very comfortable with them being in the service, even though I was preaching primarily to the parents. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking, How do I make this message relevant to the children and the youth? What about those who are single or the couples whose kids have grown up?
Hear, O Israel:
The Lord our God is one,
the Lord is One…
Nathan, my 7-year-old son, had asked for several sheets of paper and a pen before I started preaching. Okay, great! My own son is planning to draw pictures to pass away the time.
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
And these words which I command you
today shall be in your heart.
“God does not intend Christian education to be accomplished through a church or Christian school. His plan is for parents to make it a part of their lifestyle.” I tried hard to concentrate on my notes, but seeing Nathan working so hard, being oblivious, was extremely distracting.
You shall teach them diligently
to your children …
… and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way, when you lie down,
and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand,
and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house
and on your gates.
When I finally finished the sermon, I have to confess that in my mind I was already working on a new one that had in mind a specific person as audience.
Betty brought Nathan over to me and asked if I was curious to know what Nathan was working on. Of course, I was curious! What’s going on? Then Nathan showed me several pages of notes that he had written down. Nathan had been taking notes from the sermon!
God surprised me that day. He allowed me a glimpse into the kind of man my son would one day be—someone who took God’s Word and his father’s words to heart. My prayer is that we will all become that kind of parent to our kids, in spite of ourselves.
