We exist for His glory and then to enjoy Him forever (I John 17:3).<\/p>\n
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding<\/em>” (Proverbs 9:10).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
2. Follow Jesus Daily<\/h3>\n
He became as we are, in order to make us like He is (I John 2:6).<\/p>\n
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me<\/em>” (John 14:6).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
3. Study the Bible Regularly<\/h3>\n
Scripture is God’s one and only guidebook to eternity. (Acts 20:32).<\/p>\n
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path<\/em>” (Psalms 119:105).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
4. Pray Constantly<\/h3>\n
It keeps us close to heaven’s pure air for the soul (Romans 12:12).<\/p>\n
“Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need<\/em>” (Hebrews 4: 16).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
5. Think Hopefully<\/h3>\n
Our life is what our thoughts make it. (Proverbs 17:22).<\/p>\n
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life<\/em>” (Proverbs 4: 23).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
6. Improve Yourself Consistently<\/h3>\n
With God’s help, you can make the best of any situation (Philippians 4:13).<\/p>\n
“Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus<\/em>” (Philippians 3:14).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
7. Do the Right Thing Always<\/h3>\n
Character is the sum of all our choices (Proverbs 27:19).<\/p>\n
“The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day<\/em>” (Proverbs 4:18).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
8. Treat Others Lovingly<\/h3>\n
God put us on earth to help lift others up to heaven (Matthew 7:12).<\/p>\n
“Let your light shine before men in such a way tht they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven<\/em>” (Matthew 5:16).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
9. Be a Faithful Member of Christ’s Church<\/h3>\n
Jesus is counting on you to carry on His work by exercising your talents in His one body (Ephesians 4:16).<\/p>\n
“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life<\/em>” (Revelation 2:10).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I am proud that you are my favorite oldest daughter.<\/p>\n
Love, Dad<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Frank Walton Upon the occasion of his daughter’s high school graduation. via\u00a0Biblical Insights, Vol. 7, No. 8, Aug. 2007. 1. Put God First We exist for His glory and then to enjoy Him forever (I John 17:3). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1028,1034],"tags":[665,642,29,1509,107],"class_list":["post-55742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","category-parenting","category-teenager","tag-child-rearing","tag-christianity","tag-parenting","tag-parents","tag-raising-children"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":24242,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/he-restrained-them-not\/","url_meta":{"origin":55742,"position":0},"title":"He Restrained Them Not (Iverson)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by John Iverson Do you think juvenile delinquency is an evil that is peculiar to our day? If so, then you would do well to read your Bible, particularly such passages as are found in the book of First Samuel. Eli was a judge in Israel and a priest of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/First_Book_of_Samuel_Chapter_2-1_Bible_Illustrations_by_Sweet_Media-300x216.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":82724,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/two-necessary-things-in-christian-parenting\/","url_meta":{"origin":55742,"position":1},"title":"Two Necessary Things in Christian Parenting","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jen Venuso Whether or not you make New Year's resolutions (I've been both), you're likely reflecting on the past and looking forward to the next year. Right now, I'm heavily in the throes of parenting, so much of my reflection settles there. As a bio\/foster\/adoptive mom to seven kids\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/children-300x200.avif","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":55257,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/five-smooth-stones-of-parenting\/","url_meta":{"origin":55742,"position":2},"title":"Five Smooth Stones of Parenting","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Sewell Hall In Goliath, David faced what seemed an indomitable foe. David's goal was not so much to kill the giant as to protect the children and honor God. He took five smooth stones from the brook to achieve his purpose. In the pervasive humanism of our society, parents\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/five-smooth-stones-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":33582,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-father-of-my-daughter-has-a-thing-for-young-girls-did-i-make-the-right-decision-to-keep-him-away-from-my-daughter\/","url_meta":{"origin":55742,"position":3},"title":"The father of my daughter has a thing for young girls. Did I make the right decision to keep him away from my daughter?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I was recently in a relationship with a woman who is married. We never had sex, or at least what I consider to be sex. All we did was masturbate together. Have I committed adultery? I have another question as well: I have a daughter. I am 17\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55152,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/because-it-is-right\/","url_meta":{"origin":55742,"position":4},"title":"Because It Is Right","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 11, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jim R. Everett Reward incentive motivation permeates our society. People respond to rewards just like little puppies do. Some parents think only in terms of rewarding their children, and, they even reward them for being bad. 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