Homegrown Faith: God’s Plan for Marriage and Motherhood
RAISING GODLY CHILDREN IN A BROKEN WORLD
Psalm 127:3-4, Romans 5:12, Ephesians 6:4, Matthew 5:14-16
Intro: There’s a battle raging for the hearts and minds of our children. We live in a world where biblical values are constantly being undermined, and the pressure to conform is relentless. The culture is loud, persuasive, and unrelenting. And as parents, we feel it.
How do we raise children who love Jesus when the world is against Him? How do we equip them to stand firm in their faith when everything around them screams the opposite? Are we doing enough? Are we even capable?
But here’s the good news: We are not raising our children alone. God Himself has entrusted them to us, and He has given us everything we need to guide them. We are not powerless. We are not alone. And we are not without a plan.
Corrie ten Boom once said: "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength."
Worry won’t protect our children. But trust in God will. We can wring our hands in fear, or we can fold them in prayer. We can stress over every little thing, or we can anchor ourselves in God’s Word.
That’s today’s message: Three key principles for raising godly children in a broken world.
SEE YOUR CHILDREN AS GOD SEES THEM
Psalm 127:3-4 "Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth."
Think about that imagery—arrows in the hands of a warrior. What’s the purpose of an arrow? It’s meant to be drawn back, aimed, and released with precision. (Arrows don’t just sit in a quiver collecting dust).
Likewise, God doesn’t intend for our children to simply exist; they are meant to be aimed at His purposes.
But here’s the challenge: We can’t aim them effectively if we don’t understand why we have them.
They are not merely extensions of ourselves, nor are they blank slates to mold into our own image. They are God’s heritage. They are His possessions entrusted to us for a purpose beyond our own dreams and ambitions.
Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."
David understood that his sin nature wasn’t just a result of bad choices—it was there from birth.
Rom 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned."
Every child is born with a fallen nature that is hostile to God.
That cute, innocent face? Beneath it is a heart that’s already inclined to go astray.
We may not like to think of our children this way, but God’s Word is clear—they need to be redeemed, not just refined. And it’s our job to point them to Christ early and often.
Our children need more than their behavior modified. They need new hearts.
John Calvin – “There is in us an innate depravity which produces fruit in early childhood. As soon as they are able to understand, they begin to reveal their corruption."
Calvin wasn’t trying to insult children; he was reminding us of a sobering reality.
Our children’s greatest need isn’t a good education, a secure future, or a comfortable life. Their greatest need is to see their condition before God and to obey the gospel.
Jonathan Edwards – “Every child is born a little heathen. They are not morally neutral; they are bent toward sin."
It’s a hard truth to swallow, but if we don’t see our children as God sees them, we won’t take seriously the task of shepherding their souls.
We will settle for making them well-behaved instead of introducing them to the One who can make them new.
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN IN TRUTH, NOT JUST MORALITY
Eph 6:4 "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Did you notice what Paul says here? Bring them up in the instruction of the Lord, not just in good behavior.
If we’re only teaching our kids to be nice, to share their toys, to get good grades, we’re missing the point. We’re not just raising well-mannered kids; we’re raising disciples.
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is creeping into Christian homes. Ever heard of it?
It’s a term coined by Christian Smith and his team when they surveyed thousands of teenagers back in 2001.
- A god exists who created and watches over us.
- God wants people to be good, nice, and fair.
- The central goal of life is to be happy.
- God only steps in when there’s a problem.
- Good people go to heaven when they die.
Sounds innocent enough, right? But it’s a counterfeit gospel.
MTD reduces God to a cosmic therapist—someone who just wants you to feel good and be nice but never confronts your rebellious heart or calls you to real repentance.
It’s spiritual junk food, and it’s not what our kids need.
The book Building a Godly Home – A Holy Vision for Raising Children by William Gouge (1653) hits the nail on the head when it warns against letting our kids grow up spiritually malnourished. It says…
"The fault therefore wholly rests in the negligence of parents. And if as a result children fall into any bad behavior, their parents shall answer for it."
Sobering, isn’t it? It’s not enough to hope our kids turn out okay. We must be intentional about what we’re feeding them spiritually.
Application:
- Teach Them to Love Jesus, Not Just Obey Rules: Jesus didn’t die to make us nice people. He died to make us new people. If we don’t connect the dots between their behavior and the condition of their hearts, we’ll just be raising rule-followers who are spiritually lost.
Instead of saying, “Don’t lie because it’s wrong,” say, “Don’t lie because it grieves the heart of God, and He calls us to be people of truth.” Connect the moral lesson to the gospel every time.
- Encourage Honest Questions About Faith: Our kids need a safe place to wrestle with their doubts and questions. If we shut them down with pat answers, they’ll go searching for truth elsewhere.
Say things like, “That’s a great question. Let’s see what the Bible says about it,” or “I don’t have all the answers, but let’s pray and study this together.”
- Immerse Them in Scripture: We can’t expect our kids to be grounded in truth if the Bible is only something they hear on Sundays. Make the Bible a daily part of their lives.
Read a psalm at breakfast. Talk about a parable at bedtime. Make Scripture memory a family game. The goal isn’t to turn them into Bible quiz champions—it’s to help them see that God’s Word is the anchor for their souls.
Are we merely producing polite, rule-following kids, or are we raising warriors who know the truth, love the truth, and live the truth? Let’s aim higher than good behavior. Let’s aim for transformed hearts.
illus: A.B. Simpson grew up in a religious home where moral behavior was emphasized but the gospel wasn’t clearly taught. Despite being raised in a church-going family, he felt the crushing weight of trying to “be good” without the power of Christ. Simpson said, "I tried to be a Christian by trying to be good, but I was utterly defeated until I met Christ and His power." When he finally met Jesus, everything changed. Simpson became the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, wrote over 100 books and hymns, and became a force for the gospel worldwide.
Simpson’s story is a vivid reminder that moral behavior without Christ is empty and exhausting. Our kids need more than a list of dos and don’ts—they need the transforming power of the gospel.
MODEL CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER DAILY
Phil 4:9 "The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."
Paul is saying, “Watch my life, then go do the same.” That’s a bold statement.
But can we say the same to our kids? Can we say, “Follow my example,” knowing that our lives align with what we preach?
Here’s the reality: Our kids are watching us. They’re learning from what we do far more than what we say. If we want our children to grow up with authentic faith, they need to see it lived out every single day in us.
And that’s not just in the big, spiritual moments. It’s in the everyday stuff—the way we respond to a frustrating driver, how we react to bad news, what we do when we’re hurt or wronged. Those are the moments that reveal what’s really in our hearts.
Paul David Tripp – “No parent gives mercy better than one who is convinced that he desperately needs it himself."
If we aren’t modeling repentance, if we aren’t showing what it looks like to run to Jesus when we fail, we’re missing one of the most powerful ways to teach our kids the gospel.
1 Cor 11:1 "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."
Was Paul claiming perfection? No. He was taking responsibility. He was claiming maturity. He was showing them the way to Jesus.
That’s our job as parents too—not to present ourselves as the perfect Christian, but to show them how imperfect people cling to a perfect Savior.
Application:
- Be Transparent About Your Walk with God: If your kids never see you pray, read Scripture, or confess sin, they’ll assume faith is just a Sunday thing. Let them see you wrestling with God in prayer. Let them hear you say, “I really messed this up. I need Jesus just as much as you do.”
- Respond to Conflict with Grace: How do you react when you’re wronged? When your kids see you forgiving someone who hurt you, they’re learning how to handle their own hurts. If you snap at your spouse and then pretend it didn’t happen, they’re learning to hide their own sins. Instead, say, “I lost my temper. That wasn’t right. Will you forgive me?” That simple act of humility can speak louder than a thousand sermons.
illus: Robert Chapman, the “Saintly Pastor of Barnstaple,” was known for living what he preached. One day, some young men criticized Chapman in the presence of John Nelson Darby, a respected leader in the Plymouth Brethren movement. Darby, recognizing Chapman’s remarkable character, rebuked them, saying, "You leave that man alone; we talk of the heavenlies, but Robert Chapman lives in them."
Chapman didn’t need to defend himself. His life spoke for him. And that’s the goal for us as parents—to live such a consistent, Christ-centered life that our kids don’t just hear the gospel from us; they see it.
Conclusion:
1 Cor 3:7 "So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase."
We can’t change our children’s hearts. But we can keep sowing seeds, keep praying, keep pointing them to Christ. God is the one who brings the increase.
Elisabeth Elliot – “Leave it all in the Hands that were wounded for you."
When you’re tired, when you feel like you’re failing, when you wonder if your kids are even listening—remember whose hands they’re in. The same hands that were pierced for their salvation. The same hands that are holding you.
- Keep Sowing: Every gospel conversation is a seed.
- Keep Praying: Pray that their hearts will be softened to the gospel.
- Keep Trusting: God is far more invested in their spiritual growth than we are.
Perfect parents? No. Faithful parents? Yes. God will take our imperfect efforts and use them for His perfect purposes.
Closing Prayer: Lord, thank You for entrusting us with these precious children. Give us wisdom, patience, and courage to raise them in Your truth. May they shine as lights in a dark world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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start today in Psalm 127, Part 4 of Homegrown Faith. God's plan for marriage and motherhood today. Raising godly children in a broken world. This is a message for parents. It's a message for children.
It's a message for those who have parents. It's a message for those who. Who know what a parent or a child is. Basically, this is for everybody. And I think it's going to help you.
But can we agree that there's a battle raging for the hearts and minds of our children? We live in a world where biblical values are constantly being undermined and the pressure to conform to the world is relentless. The culture that we live in is loud, it is persuasive, it is unrelenting. And as parents, we feel it. Yes.
So how do we raise children who love Jesus in a world that's against Jesus? How do we equip them to stand firm in the faith when everything around them screams the opposite?
How do we answer questions that rage in our own hearts and our own private thoughts? Are we doing enough? Are we even capable? What kind of parents are we? But here's the good news.
We are not raising our children alone if we're in Christ. God himself has entrusted them to us and he's given us everything we need to guide them. Which means that we are not powerless, we are not alone, and we are not without a plan. And even having said all of that, many of us still worry. Corrie Ten Boom who survived the Holocaust once said, worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow.
It empties today of its strength. And I want to ask you a question. Can worry protect our children? Is that a good strategy? You know, we can wring our hands in fear or we can fold them in prayer.
We can stress over every little thing or we can anchor ourselves in God's word. And that's today's message. Three key principles for raising godly children in a broken world. Let's pray together, Father. We want to be parents that honor Jesus with the way we raise our children.
We want to be better at this. We want to right some wrongs. Many of us would say we need a reset. God give us grace, give us ears to hear today some topical truth in your word about parenthood in Jesus name and a faith filled church said, amen. Well, number one, how do you raise godly children in a broken world?
See your children as God sees them. Here's Psalm 127, verses 3 and 4. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Offspring, a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior?
Are children born in one's youth? Think about that imagery for a second. Arrows in the hands of a warrior. What's the purpose of an arrow? It's meant to be drawn back, aimed, and released with precision.
Arrows aren't meant to sit in a quiver collecting dust. And may I say to you in the same way, God doesn't intend for our children just to simply exist in the world and at your house. They are meant to be aimed at his purposes. But here's the challenge. How can we aim our children effectively if we don't even understand why we have them?
I mean, are children merely extensions of ourselves, US 2.0 and 3.0? Are they blank slates that we're meant to mold into our own image and be like us? The answer to those questions are no. Psalm 127 tells us they are God's heritage. Children are a heritage from the Lord.
That means that children everywhere are God's possessions, entrusted to parents for a purpose that far exceeds our own dreams and ambitions.
But if raising godly children in a broken world requires us to see God how he's to see our children, how God sees them, then the question is, how does God see them? Well, Psalm 51:5. When David was repenting of all the terrible sins in the Bathsheba episode, he confessed this to the Lord in prayer. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
Is this how you see your children? You see, David understood that his sin nature wasn't just a result of his bad choices. It was there from birth, just always present. And that's Old Testament. What's the New Testament?
Romans 5:12. Paul writes, Therefore, just as through one man, sin entered the world, what was that one man's name? Adam. And death through sin, and thus death spread to all men. Because all sinned.
Every child is born with a fallen nature that is hostile to God. This does not fill buildings with happy worshipers.
You know that cute, innocent face that you see at the dinner table or at bedtime? Beneath that cute, innocent face is a heart that's already inclined to go astray.
We may not like to think of our children this way, but God's word is clear. They need to be redeemed, not just refined.
And it's our job to point to them Christ early and often. Our children need more than modified behavior. They need new hearts. John Calvin wrote, and I don't quote him often, but this is a good one. There is in us an innate depravity which produces fruit in early childhood.
As soon as they are able to understand, they begin to reveal their corruption. He nailed it. And Calvin wasn't trying to insult our children. He was reminding us of. Of a sobering reality.
See our children the way God does. May I ask you this question? Is our children's greatest need a good reputation?
Is it a good education? Is it a secure future? The answer to all those questions is no. Their greatest need is to see their condition before God and respond and obey the gospel. That's their greatest need.
I give you great credit for dragging your children to church today if that's what it took, because they're going to get the gospel here. But you know what here's for? Here's to inspire and reinforce.
This is seconds at the meal. The primary meal is at your house. Jonathan Edwards, a leader in the Great Awakening, wrote, every child is born a little heathen and he wasn't even giggling. They are not morally neutral. They are bent towards sin.
Look, I know that's a hard truth to swallow. I get it. But if we don't see our children the way God sees them, then we won't take seriously the task of shepherding their souls. We will settle for making them well behaved instead of introducing them to the one that can make them new.
So see your children as God sees them. That's number one. Number two in raising children in a broken world. Train your children in truth, not just morality.
It gets a little worse here for you parents.
Ephesians 6:4. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The discipline and instruction of the Lord. Did you notice what Paul says here? Bring them up in the instruction of the Lord.
Not just good behavior. They need more than sit down, shut up and do right. If we're only teaching our kids to be nice, if we're only teaching our kids to share their toys, if we are only teaching our kids to get good grades, then we are missing the point.
We're not just raising well mannered kids, we are raising disciples of Jesus. There's such a difference.
I want to introduce a term to you. You've heard me say it a couple of years ago. I want to say it again. The term is moralistic therapeutic deism. MTD Moralistic therapeutic Deism is creeping into Christian homes.
Have you ever heard of it? Moralistic, teaching, good morals, therapeutic. I need to feel better about myself. Deism. There's a God who can make me feel better about myself and Wants me to be more moral.
Now, listen, it's a term, moralistic therapeutic deism, coined by Christian Smith and his research team when they surveyed thousands of teenagers back in 2001. This is American teenagers. They surveyed them and they kept saying the same things. And once they put it all together, moralistic therapeutic deism has five values, five truths, five parts. Not really true.
The first one is a God exists who created and watched over us. Watches over us. The second, this is what these teenagers believed back in 2001. Number two, God wants people to be good, nice and fair.
Number three, the central goal of life is to be happy. Number four, God only steps in when there's a problem. And number five, good people go to heaven when they die. Now, if you look at that list up there, you would say, that sounds innocent enough. I want you to know that's a counterfeit gospel.
Moralistic therapeutic deism reduces God to a cosmic therapist in the sky. Someone who just wants you to feel good. He just wants you to be nice. And he will never confront your rebellious heart and he will never call you to repentance. That's not the God of the Bible.
That's the God those kids made up to suit their own sins. It is spiritual junk food. And it is not what our children in this world need.
And for those who have this mentality, and it is so many now, the self becomes the center of the universe. Well, the year is now 2025. And all those that were teenagers that did that study back in 2001, they're all in their 30s and 40s by now. Most of them have children. They're all adults.
And their view of God that they got from their parents and their parents. Weak churches. Their view of God permeates our culture. It is dominant even here in the Bible Belt. And we have bought into it in our local society, our local community.
Well, how is that, Pastor?
We seem radically committed to this moralistic, therapeutic deity. On Sundays for a couple of hours. But the rest of the week, we hope he won't bother us. And we hope he won't call our plans into question. MTD it truly matters what we are taught as children, because that's when the foundation of our worldview is established.
I want to give you a quote from a book that's 400 years old.
The book is Building a Godly A Holy Vision for Raising Children. It's by a Bible commentator who died in 1653. His name's William Gough. He hits the nail on the head when his book warns against letting our Kids grow up. Listen to me.
Spiritually malnourished. It's not enough just to take them to church. It matters what church you take them to.
It matters how you engage in it. And it matters if you have any spiritual life outside of that church. If any of those three things are true about you and your family. Your children are spiritually malnourished right now. They are spiritually starving to death.
And William Gough wrote, the fault, therefore, wholly rests in the negligence of the parents. And if, as a result, children fall into any bad behavior, their parents shall answer for it.
That's sobering, isn't it? You see, it's not enough to hope our kids turn out okay. Hope is not a strategy. We must be intentional about what we're feeding them. Spiritually, it matters.
So how do we apply? Train your children in truth, not just morality. Let me give you three ways. First, teach them to love Jesus, not just obey rules. Holy cow.
Let me ask you a question. Did Jesus suffer and die on a Roman cross just to make us nice people?
He died to make us new people. If we don't connect the dots between their behavior and the condition of their hearts, we'll just be raising rule followers who are still spiritually lost.
Instead of saying, don't you tell a lie that's wrong, say something like this. Don't lie because it grieves the heart of God and he calls us to be a people of truth. Connect the moral lesson to the gospel always.
Number two, encourage honest questions about faith.
You know, our kids need a safe place to wrestle with their doubts and with their questions. And home's got to be the first place that that's true. If we shut our children down with pat answers, if we're lazy and don't go, try to find the answers that we don't already know. I promise you, they'll go searching for truth elsewhere. If you don't disciple your children, others will.
Their favorite singers, their favorite actors, their poorly behaved and unsaved friends. Your child is becoming a follower. You get to decide whether it's Jesus or not. So you encourage honest questions about faith. You say things like, hey, that's a great question.
Let's see what the Bible says about that. And you go, well, I don't know. Well, God invented Google. Amen. And you've got a church that can help you.
You've got a smartphone. It used to be harder to find answers. Or how about this one? I don't have all the answers, but let's pray and study this together.
Number three. Third application, immerse them in Scripture.
How can we expect our kids to be grounded in truth if the Bible is only something they hear on Sundays? Make the Bible a daily part of their lives. Here's how you can do it. Read a psalm out loud at breakfast. Talk about a parable of Jesus at bedtime.
They're short and easy to remember. Make scripture memory a family game. And I'm saying all that. But I am not saying the goal is not to turn them into Bible quiz champions. It's to help them see that God's word is the anchor for our souls and where we find truth.
Friends, are we merely producing polite rule following kids? Or are we raising warriors who know truth, who love the truth, who live the truth. So let's aim higher than just good behavior and good grades. Let's aim for transformed hearts. Let me illustrate this with A.B.
simpson. A.B. simpson grew up in a religious home and moral behavior was stressed and emphasized. But the Gospel was not clearly taught. So A.B.
simpson thought it was up to his effort working in concert with his religion. Despite being raised in a church going family, he felt the crushing weight of trying to be good without the power of Jesus Christ. If you've ever tried that, it's one of the most frustrating things you'll ever experience. Simpson said, and I quote, I tried to be a Christian by trying to be good, but I was utterly defeated until I met Christ and his power. See, he found the secret.
It was not in his effort, it was in meeting a risen savior. And when A.B. simpson finally met Jesus, I'm still talking about him today, 150 years or so later, everything changed. And eventually Simpson was called by God and became the founder of something called the Christian and missionary alliance, the CMA. He wrote over 100 books and hymns and he became a force for the gospel in the missionary world worldwide.
After he stopped trying and started knowing Jesus. Simpson's story is a vivid reminder that moral behavior apart from Christ is empty and exhausting. And I'll bet you some of you today are just tired. You're tired of trying and failing and seeing people in your church that seem to really know the real God. But your secret is he's not real to you.
This is a message for you. You need the same thing A.B. simpson got that is to meet the real God. Our kids need more than a list of do's, don'ts and they need the transforming power of the gospel. So you teach them in truth, not just morality.
Finally today, number three, model Christlike character daily.
You know what the Number one leadership lesson in all of life is you'll ever learn. People do what people see. Simple as that. People do what people see. Philippians 4, 9.
Paul wrote, the things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Paul says, when you looked at my life, what did you see? He's saying, watch my life and then go do the same. That's a bold statement. But can we say the same thing to our children?
Can we say to our young people that are in our, whether they're little or almost out of the house, follow my example. Can we say that knowing that our lives align with what we preach and believe? Because here's the reality, ladies and gentlemen, our children are watching us. They learn far more from what they see us do than than what we say. If we want our children to grow up with authentic faith, they need to see it lived out in us.
And they need to see it lived out in us every day. And by the way, that's not just in the big spiritual moments, it's in the everyday stuff, the way that we respond to a frustrating driver. And they exist because I've drive out here, right? Look, I'm a great driver. I don't know why everybody else can't catch up with me.
Have you ever felt that way?
It's like, okay, Jesus is sitting in the car with me and hey, what did I say when they cut me off? How we react to bad news. Your kids see it and feel it. What we do when we're hurt or when we're wronged, those are the moments that really reveal what's in our hearts. Let me give you a quote from Paul David Tripp.
No parent gives mercy better than the one who is convinced that he desperately needs it himself.
Brothers and sisters, if we aren't modeling repentance, if we aren't showing what it looks like to run to Jesus when we fail, then we're missing one of the most powerful ways to teach our kids the gospel.
Can you believe Paul wrote these words in First Corinthians 11? 1. Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. Hey, if you want to see Jesus, watch me.
Was Paul claiming perfection in that verse? The answer is no. But he was taking responsibility and he was taking claiming maturity. He was showing them the way to Jesus. And listen, you need to walk with God in such a way and for such a consistent period of time.
You can say I have gained some spiritual maturity enough to say to a brand new believer, just walk with God by doing what you see me do. That's not arrogant. That's loving and winsome. It's evangelistic. It's being a disciple, maker.
Imitate me as I imitate Christ. That's our job as parents too. Not to present ourselves in our home as the perfect Christian. Who would do that, but to show them how imperfect people cling to a perfect Savior.
Just have godlike character every day. How do we apply this? Number one, to your children? Be transparent about your walk with God.
If your children never see you pray, if they never see you or catch you reading scripture, if they never hear you confessing sin, they'll assume that faith is just a Sunday thing.
Let them see you wrestling with God in prayer. Let them hear you say, hey, I really messed this one up. I need Jesus just as much as you do.
Number two. Respond to conflict with grace. How does God respond to it? Let me ask you this question. How do you react when you're wronged?
Do you fly off the handle? Do you automatically get angry and then have to go back later and say, well, that wasn't the best first response. When your kids see you forgiving someone who hurt you, they're learning how to handle their own hurts.
If you snap at your spouse and then pretend it didn't happen, then they're learning to hide their own sins.
Instead, say, I lost my temper. That wasn't right. Will you forgive me?
That simple act of humility can speak louder than a thousand sermons.
Respond to conflict with grace. I want to tell you about Robert Chapman from the uk. He was called the saintly pastor of Barnstaple. What a cool name for a village, Barnstaple. And this man was known for living what he preached.
That was his reputation in his community. One day some young men criticized Chapman in the presence of a man named John Nelson Darby. John Nelson Darby was a respected leader in the Plymouth Brethren Movement. Darby, recognizing Chapman's remarkable character by Jesus, rebuked these young men. And here's what he said.
You leave that man alone. We talk of the heavenlies, but Robert Chapman lives in them.
It's interesting to me that Chapman didn't need to defend himself. That's not how he responded to conflict. His life spoke for him. And that's the goal for us as parents to live such a consistent Christ centered life that our kids don't just hear the gospel from us. They see it finally today.
First Corinthians 13:7. First Corinthians 3:7. Excuse me. So then neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters but God who gives the increase?
Isn't it true that we cannot change our children's hearts? Haven't you tried? How'd that go? But you know what we can do? We can keep sowing seeds.
We can keep planting. We can keep praying. We can keep pointing them to Christ. And it's always God who brings the increased. It's always God who makes them grow.
Man. Who said it better than Elizabeth Elliot? Leave it all in the hands that were wounded for you.
Parents. You know when you're tired?
When you feel like you're failing. When you wonder if your kids are even listening. Remember whose hands they're in?
The same hands that were pierced for their salvation. Those are the same hands that are holding you.
So three ways to apply that. Number one. Keep sowing. Every gospel conversation is a seed.
Number two. Keep praying. Pray that their hearts will be softened toward the gospel.
Number three. Keep trusting. Did you know that God is far more invested in the spiritual growth of your children than you are? He cares about it more. So.
Perfect parents. Right? No.
Faithful parents. Yes.
God will take our imperfect efforts and he will use them for his perfect purposes. I'm holding onto that.
Parents of young children. Let me just tell you. It gets more difficult when they get older and start making more choices. I've almost got an empty nest. Keep praying.
But then they go out into this world that's against them. Then you find out what kind of foundation.
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Come and join us this Sunday at the Great Commission Church for a truly remarkable and uplifting experience. Great Commission Church is not just any ordinary place of worship; it's a vibrant community where faith comes alive, hearts are filled with love, and lives are transformed. Our doors are wide open, ready to welcome you into the warm embrace of our congregation, where you'll discover the true essence of fellowship and spirituality. At Great Commission Church, we are more than just a congregation; we are a family united by a common mission – to follow the teachings of Christ and spread His love to the world. As you step inside Great Commission Church, you'll find a sanctuary that nurtures your faith and encourages you to be part of something greater than yourself.
We believe in the power of coming together as a community to worship, learn, and serve. Whether you're a long-time believer or just starting your spiritual journey, Great Commission Church welcomes people from all walks of life. Our vibrant services are filled with inspiring messages, beautiful music, and heartfelt prayers that will uplift your soul. Every Sunday at Great Commission Church is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and connect with others who share your faith and values.
At Great Commission Church, we believe that faith is not just a solitary endeavor but a shared experience that strengthens and enriches us all. Our church is a place where you can find purpose, belonging, and the encouragement to live a life in accordance with Christ's teachings. Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church and experience the transformative power of faith in action. Be part of a loving and supportive community that is committed to making a positive impact in our world. Together, we strive to fulfill the great commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations. We look forward to having you with us at Great Commission Church this Sunday, where faith, love, and community intersect in a truly amazing way.
Great Commission Church is a non-denominational Christian church located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We are a short drive from Germantown, Southaven, Collierville, Horn Lake, Memphis, Fairhaven, Mineral Wells, Pleasant Hill, Handy Corner, Lewisburg and Byhalia.
See you Sunday at Great Commission Church!
