Pass It On

Pass it on

Theme: Generational Discipleship

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:5-9, Ephesians 4:11-13, and Galatians 5:22-23

Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)

Know: Parents are to disciple their children. They can draw help and support for this from their own parents, and from their church family.

Think: One of my greatest priorities is living out God’s Word and teaching it to my children, and the next generation.

Do: Love God, obey His Word, and teach my children and others to do the same.

Notes and questions:

B1 Bonding

C1 In bonding with our children, eye contact is one of the most important. This includes the child with the parent and the parent with the child.

C2 Response to the child vocalizing needs.

C3 Vocalization between parent and child.

C4 Both enjoying contact (the physical contact between infant and parent, especially the mother, is vitally important.

C5 Initiating and maintaining affection and comfort.

C6 Bilateral empathy.

C7 Parent sets age appropriate limits.

C8 Age appropriate response to separation.

C9 A general joyfulness when together.

C10 Parents respond appropriately to child’s fears.

C11 Can listen.

C12 Eye contact with family and others (especially school age).

C13 Further information here and here.

C14 Some people worry about spoiling the child with too much time together. Life should be in moderation, but in general, parents need to spend more time with their children until the children leave home. At that point, a new type of balance needs to be achieved. Child independence should increase as they get older.

C15 Without adequate bonding, a child grows up with many difficulties. Some of these are addressed in the second link above.

C16 Not necessarily with Christian principles, these articles may be helpful.

B2 Love (review)

C1 Is a choice.

C2 It is seen and experienced by the following characteristics:

D1 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is very patient and kind; love is not envious; love doesn't brag about itself, is not haughty, Doesn't behave improperly, is not self-seeking; love isn't easily aggravated, doesn’t keep a list of wrongs, Doesn't rejoice in injustice, but rejoices with the truth, Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends...

D2 Patience

D3 Kindness

D4 Not envious

D5 Not boastful

D6 Not conceited

D7 Not rude

D8 Not selfish

D9 Not easily provoked

D10 Not keeping a list of wrongs (also understood as not assuming someone in an evil way)

D11 No happiness with unrighteousness

D12 Rejoices in truth

D13 Forbearing

D14 Believes (always keep just a little skepticism)

D15 Hopes

D16 Endures

D17 Does not end

B3 Guidelines for raising children

C1 One author summarizes 

D1 Message (Begin with the Gospel)

D2 Mission (Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:6-11)

D3 Motive (Mark 12:28-34 & 1 Corinthians 13:1-13)

D4 Knowledge (Proverbs 2:1-6 & Philippians 3:8-14 together)

D5 Character (Galatians 5:6-26 & Philippians 4:4-9)

D6 Conduct (Mark 4:1-20 & Mark 9:33-41)

C2 Love them

D1 Love is not showering them with gifts and activities.

D2 Love is not letting them do what they want without guidance.

D3 Love is setting limits. God does this with us. We do not have unlimited, sovereign freedom. If possible, it is good to teach them how to sit still at 2 years old. This mom tells us how she did (I can’t vouch for the website, as I haven’t checked it out. I only read the article). The pasture illustration.

D4 Love is spending time with them.

D5 Love is consistency.

D6 Love is steadfastness.

D7 Love is letting them have some freedom. Don’t be a helicopter parent. Some information can be found here—Let Grow. A program followed by a school is here.

C3 Listen to them

C4 Practice what you preach. This is showing a good example.

C5 Give them ideals.

C6 Let them fail. Let them try things. Support them, not oppress them.

C7 Live and enjoy life as a family unit, not as separate individuals just living in the same house.

C8 Be a Christian.

D1 Teach them what a Christian is and why.

D2 Show them there are answers to hard questions.

D3 Tell them the gospel.

D4 Live the gospel.

D5 Pray with them.

D6 Confess and ask forgiveness.

D7 Love your spouse openly with kindness, respect, compassion, helpfulness, etc.

D8 Let them see you reading and studying the Bible.

D9 Live by the Bible’s concepts.

D10 Defend the faith.

D11 Show them the greatest fulfillment is loving God, and that the only way to love God is obey Him, and that the New Testament teachings are the voice of God.

D12 Show them by thoughts, desires, words, and deeds that being a Bible believing Christian is very important.

D13 Go to church.

D14 Make it a point to have your close friends be Christians.

D15 Serve and help others as much as possible.

C9 Emphasize empathy.

C10 Praise them for traits and attitudes. Do not praise them for natural talents or beauty.

C11 How does this passage apply or not apply to the above? Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NKJV And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 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.

D1 How do we keep God’s words in our heart?

D2 Is it enough to have God’s words in our heart or do we have to live them?

D3 What is the best way to teach children?

D4 Why is talking about God’s word instructive to children?

D5 How do we know the meaning of these words?

D6 How much time every day are we to teach our children?

D7 How can the church help the family teach the children?

D8 Is it only the Pastor’s job?

B4 How do we keep our children in the faith? We and they need:

C1 Knowledge

D1 Bible knowledge

D2 Doctrine

D3 Life issues

E1 Temptation

E2 Sin

E3 Forgiveness

E4 Assurance

E5 God’s standards

E6 Prophecy

D4 How to grow in the faith

E1 Bible reading

E2 Bible study

E3 Fellowship

E4 Prayer

E5 Suffering

C2 Character

D1 In thoughts, desires, words, and deeds

D2 Time to grow (need experience)

D3 Truth

D4 Confession of sin

D5 Trust

C3 Apologetics

D1 Bible reliability

D2 Jesus

D3 Hard questions

E1 Problem of evil

E2 Creation

E3 Noah’s flood

D4 Issues of society

B5 Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

C1 How does God teach us the fruit of the Spirit?

C2 How does living the fruits help our family, our children, and our grandchildren?

C3 How can we learn more about these fruits and grow in them?

B6 2 Peter 3:18 NKJV But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

B7 Next week:

C1 Making up the differences

C2 Theme: Adoptive Discipleship

C3 Scriptures: Titus 2, 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 2 Timothy 2:2, Acts 8:26-40, and Acts 18:24-28