Understanding Your Parents

Understanding Your Parents

• We love you more than life.
• We have many responsibilities we must attend to on a daily basis.
• We discipline you because we delight in you and want God’s best for your life.
• Our heart is strengthened by your attitude of submission and forgiveness.
• We are charged by God to keep you pure in mind, heart and body until you
have learned the discipline to do so yourself.
• We reserve the right to veto friendships and potential relationships with or
without explanation.
• God protects, corrects and directs you through our prayers and wise counsel.
• We hold you accountable to teach you responsibility to God.
• We would rather do without than to see you do without.
• Though our heart breaks, we must allow you to feel the sting of failure so you
can appreciate the fruit of success.

–Tim Cruse

Preparing Your Child For Marriage

Preparing Your Child For Marriage

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when

he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

To train means to narrow, conveying the thought of marking a clear path for our children by removing the unnecessary and focusing on that of lasting value - setting Biblical boundaries (Proverbs 13:6). Many parents unwisely encourage their children to experiment with various philosophies of life. We should spend more time teaching our children the truth instead.

Ask God Daily for Wisdom and Strength

• “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God” - James 1:5

• Esther 2:11 - Read Job 1:5 - “Thus did Job continually”

Pray Consistently for Their Future Spouse

• Salvation, purity, protection, maturity, respect for authority, etc.

• Development of Christ-like character - Philippians 2:5

Teach Them Early on God’s Plan for Their Lives

• Own identity - responsibility - “God wants you to get married and raise a godly family of your own someday” - Malachi 2:15; Proverbs 31:1; I Thessalonians 4:1-8

• God’s blueprint for building a strong family is found in His Word - Ephesians 5:18-6:4

Develop in Them a Servants Heart

• Marry for what you can give, not get - dead to self - filled with (controlled by) the Holy Spirit

• Marriage brings many responsibilities - will have to be mature and settle in - “leave and cleave”

• Life-long commitment to God and one another “Till death us do part” - “let not man put asunder” - Matthew 19:6

Uphold the Standard of Purity in the Home

• The parent’s job is to guard the hearts and minds of their children until they are old enough to do it for themselves - “simple concerning evil” - Romans 16:19

• Teach - “greatest gift you can give your spouse is yourself” - pure in heart, mind, and body - do not play the dating game and give your heart and body to many, but rather save it all for that special one

Show Them How to Walk With God

• “You cannot impart what you do not possess” - consecration of life - yielded to God’s will

• Daily prayer and Bible reading - abiding in Christ - heart and mind of discernment

- I John 4:1

• Good steward of time, talent, and treasure - Romans 12:1,2

Remind Them to Wait on God’s Timing

• Right one, right way, right time - no unequal yokes - II Corinthians 6:14

• “If in doubt, don’t” - “Don’t settle for second best”

• Approval of parents with insight and counsel of your pastor

Help Them Plan a Truly Christian Marriage

• Pre-marital counseling - Christ-honoring ceremony - establishment of a Christian home that pleases God in all areas - i.e.. faithful church attendance, family altar, Christian service, financial stewardship, child-rearing, etc.

–Tim Cruse

Understanding Your Child’s Heart

Understanding Your Child’s Heart

“My son, give me thine heart,

and let thine eyes observe my ways.”

Proverbs 23:26

God wants His people to guard (4:23), guide (23:19) and give their hearts. When children give their hearts to their parents, they trust them to protect, provide and prepare them to follow God’s will for their lives.

Understand this about your child’s heart:

• By nature my own heart is sinful and therefore imperfect.

• I need you to hold me accountable and teach me good character by helping

me to think Biblically.

• My view of God and how to trust Him is being shaped by your influence

and example. Teach me how to properly respond to His authority.

• I feel most secure when there is harmony and structure in the home, and

I am allowed to become who God wants me to be.

• I lack discernment and need you to keep me from the appearance of evil

so I will not be weakened to the evil itself.

• Your acceptance and understanding means the world to me even though

we do not always see eye to eye on some things.

• Your unconditional love when I have stumbled teaches me forgiveness

and grace.

• Know that I have problems and do not believe me if I act like I do not

need to talk with you about them.

• Your time is more important to me than your gifts.

• Never give up on me or stop praying for me.

–Tim Cruse