by Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
I. The raising of a child is a fearful responsibility.<\/p>\n
A. God entrusts you with the care of a precious soul wrapped up in a tiny body.<\/p>\n
B. All souls belong to God – Ezekiel 18:4<\/p>\n
C. Each child is a precious gift<\/p>\n
1. Jacob understood this – Genesis 33:5<\/p>\n
2. The Psalmist so stated – Psalm 127:3<\/p>\n
D. God expects each parent to care for the child’s physical needs – I Timothy 5:8<\/p>\n
E. As well as their spiritual needs – Ephesians 6:4<\/p>\n 1. Knowing the increasing corruption of our society, this becomes ever more\ndifficult.\n
2. Children are introduced to immoral ideas at younger and younger ages.<\/p>\n
3. Once innocence was protected, but no more.<\/p>\n 4. Yet, the power of the gospel remains as evidenced by the young people\nwho have turned against the world to fight in the Lord’s army.\n F. What joy it is to a parent when his child walks the paths of righteousness –\nProverbs 23:24-25\n
1. John speaks of that joy with his spiritual children – III John 4<\/p>\n
II. What anguish comes when a child is snared by Satan<\/p>\n A. I have seen many parents grieved by the foolish choices of their children –\nProverbs 17:21, 25\n
B. In their anguish they will cry out, “Where did we fail?”<\/p>\n C. I have talked to many parents and it often doesn’t take long to learn that the vast\nmajority have failed to follow God’s guidelines\n
1. We often see godly men in the Scriptures raising ungodly children.<\/p>\n
a. Eli<\/p>\n
(1) His sons despised God’s ways – I Samuel 2:12, 17<\/p>\n (2) Eli knew of their deeds and even scolded them – I Samuel\n2:22-25\n (3) For their sins, God desired to put them to death, but Eli also\nshared responsibility – I Samuel 2:29; 3:11-13\n
b. Samuel<\/p>\n (1) Samuel did not learn from the mistakes of Eli. His sons too\ngrew up to be wicked men – I Samuel 8:1-3\n (2) We gain a hint why. Samuel was on the road a lot – I\nSamuel 7:15-17\n
c. David<\/p>\n (1) David had two sons rise in rebellion against him Absalom\nand Adonijah as well as sons who committed other sins.\n
(2) We are told why – I Kings 1:6<\/p>\n
D. A child without correction brings shame – Proverbs 29:15<\/p>\n 1. The paper speaks of Canadian communities taking children away from\nparents who use a rod (a switch). It continues the trend of any restrictions\non children being seen as abuse.\n 2. Too many Christians have been caught up in these unreasoned, populist\nideas. Most lose their children during their teenage and young adult years.\nIII. However, it is a mistake to believe that the way a child is raised is 100% how he will turn\nout as an adult\n A. The Bible records a few evil parents who somehow managed to produce godly\noffspring. As well as godly parents who raised wicked offspring\n 1. Azariah was a good king, who followed after the ways of his father – II\nKings 15:3\n
2. His son, Jotham was also a good king – II Kings 15:32-34<\/p>\n
3. Yet Jotham raised up an evil king – II Kings 16:1-2<\/p>\n
4. Yet Ahaz son was Hezekiah, a very good king – II Kings 18;1-3<\/p>\n 5. This particular series is interesting because each was an adult when he\nbecame king\n B. Ezekiel 18 uses the illustration of a righteous man having a wicked son and a\nwicked man having a righteous son to prove the point that each makes his own\nchoices – Ezekiel 18:20\n 1. We should understand that free-will always remains. Adam and Eve were\nthe offspring of God, directly created by him, but it did not stop them from\nchoosing to sin.\n 2. Was it the fault of the father of the prodigal son that his strayed for a time?\n– Luke 15\n C. Often times we see that a child follows in the ways of his parents, but at times,\nbecause of free-choice, will turn out differently despite his upbringing –\nEcclesiastes 2:18-19\n
IV. What about Proverbs 22:6?<\/p>\n
A. A well instilled habit is hard to break, but not impossible.<\/p>\n B. Many of the proverbs are not hard-fast rules. They are principles that usually are\ntrue.\n 1. Proverbs 10:27 – The righteous tend to live long and the wicked tend to die\nearly, but we know exceptions.\n
a. Does this mean that being good doesn’t lead to a long life?<\/p>\n
b. The trend is there. There is just no guarantee.<\/p>\n
2. Proverbs 16:7 – The righteous tend to have fewer enemies<\/p>\n
a. Does this mean that a righteous man will have no enemies?<\/p>\n
b. No, consider Christ, Stephen, or Paul<\/p>\n
c. As Paul stated, we do our best – Romans 12:18<\/p>\n C. What it means is that when a child is raised properly, the odds are that the habits\ninstilled in him will keep him on the straight and narrow. When a child is raised\npoorly, the odds are that the habits he develops will encourage him to stray.\n
1. Isaac managed to raise both Esau (wicked) and Jacob (righteous)<\/p>\n
2. Jacob managed to raise Joseph (righteous), but his other sons<\/p>\n
a. Reuben committed incest<\/p>\n
b. Levi and Simeon murdered a town<\/p>\n c. The brothers plotted to kill their own brother Joseph, but settled for\nselling him into slavery.\n d. Given how wicked his brothers were at times, it is a wonder that\nJoseph came out so well.\n 3. Isaac and Jacob were not ideal parents. Reading the Scriptures, you can see\nmany mistakes that they made. But because all sons did not follow the\nsame path shows that each had a free choice.\n
V. Application<\/p>\n A. When considering a man for eldership or as deacons – I Timothy 3:4-5, 12; Titus\n1:6\n
1. A righteous man could have a son who strays.<\/p>\n 2. Careful consideration should be made to see if his children left despite his\nefforts or because of his lack of effort.\n B. When we have done our best, and a child fails to live righteously, as hard as it\nmay be, we must continue on with our own lives – Philippians 3:13-14\n
1. We cannot live in past failures or self-doubt<\/p>\n
2. Each must give an account of his own life – Romans 14:12<\/p>\n
3. Destroying your own faith will not rescue that child.<\/p>\n C. As we have opportunity, make every effort to instill good morals now. Habits,\ngood or bad, are hard to break. Instill good habits in your children that will last\nthem a lifetime. There is no better legacy that you can leave them.\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. The raising of a child is a fearful responsibility. A. God entrusts you with the care of a precious soul wrapped up in a tiny body. B. All souls belong to God – Ezekiel 18:4 C. Each child is a precious gift 1. Jacob understood this – Genesis 33:5 2. The Psalmist so stated – Psalm…<\/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_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[665,1568,123,29,107],"class_list":["post-63718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-child-rearing","tag-deacons","tag-elders","tag-parenting","tag-raising-children"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":92853,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/to-spank-or-not-to-spank\/","url_meta":{"origin":63718,"position":0},"title":"To Spank or Not to Spank","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeff Archer via\u00a0Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 A friend of mine was called to the elementary school where his son was attending. The teacher was seeking help with his son's misbehavior. When he arrived in the classroom, he pulled his son aside and reprimanded him for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63310,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/raising-children\/","url_meta":{"origin":63718,"position":1},"title":"Raising Children","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 13, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This generation is full of unusual ideas about how to raise children \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many are leftovers of failed experiments that continue to hang around. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Don't spank children \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is a form of child abuse or could lead to it. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is unnatural to restrict children \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ignore children\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/parenting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60998,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-your-child-leaves-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":63718,"position":2},"title":"When Your Child Leaves God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jim Lee Many of you parents who will read this, know by experience the horrific impact this circumstance can have on you. In the past, I have often sympathized and grieved with other brothers and sisters who have gone through the heart-wrenching experience of seeing a child of theirs\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\/2009\/05\/SadParents.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":61093,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-it-is-necessary-to-teach-children-godly-values\/","url_meta":{"origin":63718,"position":3},"title":"Why It Is Necessary to Teach Children Godly Values","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Author Unknown Children, without teaching and training, do not know about true values, especially godly ones. They depend on their parents to teach them what is valuable or not, right and wrong, truth and error, good and bad. Left alone, kids have a slim chance of becoming knowledgeable about such\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35703,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-homosexuals-adopt-children\/","url_meta":{"origin":63718,"position":4},"title":"Should homosexuals adopt children?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What does the Bible teach on gays adopting and raising children? Answer: The question, knowingly or not, attempts to balance sin with righteousness. Homosexuality is a sin, see Notes on Homosexuality for a list of verses proving this point. An adoption is a righteous act. Our relationship, as a\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":52938,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-does-someone-stop-being-a-child\/","url_meta":{"origin":63718,"position":5},"title":"When does someone stop being a child?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Ephesians 6:1-2. \"Children\" has no absolute age-associated concept to it, does it? If it was only used in the sense of young children, well then. But it refers all over scripture to offspring generally. When does the principle of a child as a minor actually come into play here?\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":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63718"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63718\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}