Sermon Tone Analysis

Words of Warning

Gary Haugen quote:

"After we have poured into our children all the good food and shelter and clothing, after we have provided them with great education, discipline, structure and love, after we have worked so hard to provide every good thing, they turn to us and ask, 'Why have you given all of this to me.'"

"And the honest answer from me is, 'So you'll be safe.'

"And my kid looks up at me and says, 'Really?

That's it?

You want me to be safe?

Your grand ambition for my life is that nothing bad happens?'

"And I think something inside them dies.

They either go away to perish in safety, or they go away looking for adventure in the wrong places.

Jesus, on the other hand, affirms their sense of adventure and their yearning for larger glory."

Gary Haugen, Just Courage (InterVarsity Press, 2008), pp.

124-125

But all of that training won’t mean much in the long run unless we train them in the most important thing of all: follow Jesus.

There’s value in raising moral kids into moral, well-behaved adults.

But there’s eternal value in raising kids into fully devoted followers of Jesus.

It’s easy to settle for moral training and religious instruction—do this, don’t do that, make a list, check off the list.

This kind of training is safer.

We can be fairly confident our kids will act right most of the time, stay out of serious trouble, straighten up when they foul up, and be in church most Sundays.

Pretty safe training.