Sermon Tone Analysis

Pray for Your Children ()

First and foremost, we should be praying for our children.

Other than teaching them God’s Word, there is nothing that we can do for our children that is more powerful than praying for our children.

Today, we have graduates who are going into the world.

For our high school graduate, Gabbi, you will face situations and decisions that you’ve never had to face before.

For our college graduates, you will be entering the workforce full time for the first time.

For all of these young adults, prayer is a necessity.

Parents, your responsibility to pray for your children is not over, it is more essential than ever before.

Pray for them.

Jon Bloom agrees:

Pray for your children.

Jesus promises us that if we ask, seek, and knock, the Father will give us good in return (), even if the good isn’t apparent for forty years.

And because Jesus regularly asked those who came to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” (), we know that he wants us to be specific with our requests.

At Ease

Not only should we pray for them, we should be at ease toward them.

One of the dangers of parenthood is that we become anxious about our children.

We are anxious about their future.

We’re anxious about their love of God, or lack thereof.

We’re anxious about their friends, and their future spouses.

But our anxiety, though natural, can often bely a lack of faith in God.

Trevin Wax says it: “seeking first the kingdom comes after we have been sought by the King.

The root cause of worry is not misplaced priorities.

It’s misplaced faith.

It’s a failure to grasp the gospel of a God worthy of our trust.”

Trevin Wax says it: “seeking first the kingdom comes after we have been sought by the King.

The root cause of worry is not misplaced priorities.

It’s misplaced faith.

It’s a failure to grasp the gospel of a God worthy of our trust.”

What does that mean for parents?

When you’re tempted to worry about your child’s future, ask yourself, “How can my child and I invest in the kingdom of God today?”

“How can I model for them what it means to be a kingdom person?”

Remind them of Who they Are and Whose they Are

I love this story.

Joshua was teaching the Israelites an important lesson, the lesson of reminding.

Often when my kids are going off with friends, to spend the night or on a trip with the church and I tell them the same thing, Remember who you are, and whose you are.

Graduates and students in general, if I could give you one piece of advice to take with you in your life it would be this: “Know yourself and know your creator.”

Know who you are - who God created you to be, who your family is, know your faults and your failures, you sins and your hang ups, know your strengths and weaknesses.

And then know fully and passionately the one who created you and who has redeemed you.

Parents, we need to be showing our kids places where God is working.

Point them out.

Bring them into the light of day so that they can bask in the glory of God’s grace.

Encourage Them

Another essential aspect of knowing and growing in Christ is the call to encourage our children.

This is often not something this generation of parents struggle with.

This is often called the helicopter generation, and is known for their lavish encouragement.

Parents, I see you encouraging your kids to be the best in sports, and school.

But let me challenge you: encourage your kids to love church and love Jesus.

let me challenge you to encourage your kids faith with the same vehemence you encourage your kids sports teams.

Parents, bring your kids to church.

I’ve heard parents say, “I don’t to force them to go to church so I let them choose whether or not to come” to which I say that is the most unbiblical and worst idea you could ever come up with.

Your kids are little me monsters infected with the fall.

By letting them choose if they will go to church or what activities they want to participate in you are teaching them that church is a choice to go where you can feel most entertained and not a call upon their life by almighty God to live in community with other believers.

Our job as parents isn’t to be a friend who convinces them to go to church but to be a leader who instills in them a commitment to go to church.

When we allow our teenagers to “skip service” to go to a movie or to some other form of entertainment we are saying, gathering together is optional, not it’s a call upon our lives.

Let me challenge you parents - take your kids to church.

If you’re on vacation - go to an early service at a church somewhere.

If you’re visiting family - go to church together.

If they are spending the night with friends tell them they will go to church with their friends or you will pick them up in time for them to go to their church.

Nourish Them

1 Timothy

Parents, we are also to nourish them - to provide for our kids.

It’s our responsibility, parents to provide for all of our kids needs.

No one else should provide for them.

Praise God that in our church we have wonderfully godly people who have raised grandchildren and adopted children, but parents, we are to provide for our children’s needs.

That’s not to say that we sometimes don’t need a hand up, but we must avoid handouts.

God has called us to be faithful.

Teach Them to Love Jesus

2 Timothy 3:

Finally, parents, it is your responsibility to train your children to love Jesus.

Parents, one day you will stand before God and will be held accountable for how you raise your children.

Their salvation is their responsibility before the Lord, but you are responsible to show them the gospel and teach them the word of God.

Proverbs 22:

Colossians 3

Matthew 6:

Trevin Wax says it: “seeking first the kingdom comes after we have been sought by the King.

The root cause of worry is not misplaced priorities.

It’s misplaced faith.

It’s a failure to grasp the gospel of a God worthy of our trust.”

What does that mean for parents?

When you’re tempted to worry about your child’s future, ask yourself, “How can my child and I invest in the kingdom of God today?”