Session Four / Harvest Baptist Church / Pastor Alan Shelby

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Focus on Family Foundations

Proverbs
Thesis: In spite of all the change and turmoil families go through, if Bible principles govern your roles and responsibilities, we will be successful ____________________ of the next generation. Point 1. God cares about every Christian parent __________________ his or her family in the faith. Point 2. If you have God on your side, the Spirit in your soul, and the right scriptures on your mind, then all you have to do is be ________________ as an expression of your trust, and Gods word will do all the work for you. Point 3. A dynamic family has to be a ________________ and not a faade, because God wants us to build families that can withstand the attacks of the enemy. Point 4. Since successful families are consecrated to God, that is what seals their ____________________ to one another. Point 5. You did not come to your parents; you came ______________ your parents. Point 6. Do your children know they have unconditional affection even though you cannot give them unconditional ________________? Point 7. Nothing will alienate a child or a spouse more than making them ________ for something that ought to be free. Point 8. You need to ______________ your child even when you are displeased with your child, because that is what consecration looks like.

F I V E C L U E S TO S U C C E S S F U L PARENTING 1. A strong sense of ________________________ A. Tell them we will __________ each other and stay together for a lifetime B. Remind them frequently they are a blessing and not a ____________ C. Assure them they are loved ________________________ 2. A strong sense of __________________ 3. A strong set of ______________________ skills 4. A strong set of ___________ skills 5. A growing sense of _________________________

- Page 1 -

PERFECTINGPARENTING
WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO NOW 1. Give your children a safe and secure environment The way you establish children in a secure environment is through constant, consistent and courageous communication about life issues from a biblical frame of reference 2. Train your children to be good citizens You get to this goal by teaching them to submit to authority and preventing them from being unruly 3. Teach your children biblical understanding Educate them in what it takes to be pleasing to God by rst making right decisions, and then secondly developing the discipline to get it done 4. Lead your children to be godly like you Start with the heart, stick to the scriptures, seek the Spirits assistance, and strive for biblical success

Recommended Resources Family Shock: Keeping Families Strong in the Midst of Earthshaking Change, by Gary R. Collins. Tyndale House: 1995. Communication Skills for Parents http:// parentingteens.about.com/cs/disciplin1/a/ comskills.htm Five Needs Your Child Must Have Met at Home, by Ron Hutchcraft. Zondervan: 1995. To Train Up a Child, by Michael and Debi Pearl. No Greater Joy, 1995. http:// www.nogreaterjoy.org/ The Five Musts of Intentional Listening, by Jan Pedersen. http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/ Pedersen2.html Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens, by Paul David Tripp. P & R Publishing, 2001. Shepherding a Childs Heart, by Tedd Tripp, Shepherd Press, 1998. Hints on Child Training, by H. Clay Trumbull. Great Expectations Book Co.: 1993. *Note: recommending a resource does not constitute Alans endorsement of everything in the book. Read with discretion, and balance any authors advice against what you are learning in our studies. Point 9. You learn to cope by developing ______________________. Point 10. Perfected parents learn how to attack the problem without attacking each __________.

FIVE MAGICAL MOMENTS A. Part on a positive note B. __________________ at the end of the day C. Go to bed with a good attitude D. Show appreciation by giving _____________________ E. Set aside date time or play time

HOW TO DEVELOP HEALTHY COMMUNICATION SKILLS A. Be a good ________________ B. Cut ______ at the pass the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Criticism Contempt Defensiveness

Oct 14 Oct 21 Oct 28 Nov 4

PERFECTING OUR PARENTING Parenting the Prodigal, Luke 15:11-16 Rescuing At-Risk Children, 1 Sam 4:19-22 Blended Family Functionality, Prov 24:3-4 Bring Beauty Out of Brokenness, Gen 21

Point 11. There is no greater gift you can give to your children than to let them see by your actions that you know God, and by your __________________ that you obey God.

In this important series of studies, we will be perfecting our parenting by discovering the biblical principles of child-rearing. The principles

covered in these studies are especially applicable to young couples and single parents. We will be laying out a vision and talking - Page 2 -

about the stages of growth, the types of parents, and the principles of parenting from the Bible