Strong Families Raise Good Decision-Makers – To Save a Family, Pt. 3

Sermon by Trent Thompson

Read Deuteronomy 6: 4-7

God’s Template for teaching children:

1. Love God

…v5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your strength”

2. Learn His Word

…v6 “These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts.”

3. “Impress them upon your children”

…v 7 “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you travel together and when you go to bed and when you get up in the morning.

…All scripture is god-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:17.

As parents and  grandparents we are bound by God’s commands to equip and train our kids to be prepared to live in this world without compromise. We can give them the tools to stand up for themselves and be an example for others in the same desire to live as Christians. 

They learn and are encouraged by the way we live our daily lives.

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” …In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands  of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

We offer three levels of love for God in this world: the one that asks “who is my neighbor?” in order to avoid the responsibility if we don’t ‘feel’ like it. The second type is the “I am too busy with all my important commitments” to stop and help anyone. The third love, the one our Lord has for us, is to help, commit and feel responsible, this is the what we should live for, to learn and work toward in out relationship to all people.