Children
Judges 1:11-15 – Do It Right, Dad (1997) – MP3 / YouTube
What can we learn from Caleb offering his daughter’s hand in marriage to whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it? What kind of son in law did Caleb want for his daughter? What kind of spouse would we choose for our children and what can we do about it? What do our children need that is as important as food on the table and clothes on their backs? Other passage mentioned include: Numbers 13-14:9; Proverbs 31:10-31.
Judges 4:1-24; 5:24-27 – Can You Do It Alone? (January 25, 1998) – MP3 / YouTube
Other than God, who are we relying on, in order to live a successful Christian life? In this passage regarding Barak, the Israeli commander, and Deborah, the prophetess and judge, we learn that a successful Christian life is possible without the protection and assistance of others, when we have complete confidence in God to see us through.
1 Kings 2:1-11 – Me or Him – MP3 / YouTube
What is our life about? Is it about us or is it about the glory of God? The last words of a dying individual are often a window into that person’s heart and soul. David’s final charge to his son, Solomon, serves as a lesson for parents in raising their children. Are we looking for our own self-interest or are we looking out for the interests of our children and for the glory of God? At the end of this message, Zane answers the question, “How can we account for the fact that a great man like David could have had character failures like this?” Other passages mentioned include: 1 Kings 1; 2 Samuel 11-12; 2 Samuel 21:1-9; Deuteronomy 24:16; 2 Samuel 16:5-13; 2 Samuel 19:15-23; Ephesians 2:8-9.
1 Kings 13:33-14:20 – God’s Love, Mercy and Compassion for Children (April 25, 1999) – MP3 / YouTube
Zane’s discussion of this passage, given after the high school shooting at Columbine high school, reminds us of God’s love, mercy and compassion for children, even when it appears negative things are happening to our children. Even if God has tried to get your attention by things that have happened to your children, God is not going to punish you through your children by being vindictive to your children. Everything that God has done in the lives of your children is designed for the good of your children. Don’t force God to try to get your attention through things that happen to your children. Be open to God and examine yourselves and the lives of your children. Other passages mentioned include: 1 Kings 11:26-13:32; Luke 18:16; Psalm 139:23-24.
1 Kings 15:25-16:14; 1 Kings 14:10-11 – What Have You Learned From Your Personal History? (1999) – MP3 / YouTube
History repeats itself in two very similar stories of two different kings of Israel and their sons. These stories serve as a lesson for us. We often repeat the mistakes and failures of our parents, even without us realizing this. What things have you picked up from your home and family life, that God would like to see changed? If there are things in our personal history that need changing, it is not just for us, but also for our descendants. As believers, there is no need for us to imitate our parents’ failings, but we can imitate our Lord Jesus Christ. Other passages mentioned include: Numbers 14:18; Galatians 2:20.
1 Kings 22:26-40; Galatians 6:7-8 – You Can’t Dodge God’s Arrow (2000) – MP3 / YouTube
The death of King Ahab is a lesson for us. Although Ahab knew the prophetic word of God, Ahab never submitted himself fully to the authority of God’s word. All of us have made mistakes, but we need to learn from our mistakes. The only safe course of action is obedience to the word of God and to trust God in whatever may lie ahead. Other passages: 1 Kings 21:17-19; 1 Kings 20; 1 Kings 22:1-25; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:12-15; 1 Kings 21:1-16.
1 Kings 22:41-53; Proverbs 10:1 – A Wise Son and a Foolish Son (2000) – MP3 / YouTube
In the lives of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and Ahaziah, king of Israel, we see what made Jehoshaphat, a wise son, and what made Ahaziah, a foolish son. Jehoshaphat was a wise son in that he was focused in doing the right thing before the Lord. Jehoshaphat was a peacemaker, a warrior and a moral person. Jehoshaphat provided security for his people and he learned from his mistakes. Ahaziah, on the other hand, took after Ahab, his father, Jezebel, his mother, and Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Other passages: 1 Kings 15:8-14; Deuteronomy 12:1-14; Psalm 139:23-24; Matthew 5:9; 2 Chronicles 20:35-37.
Matthew 18:1-14 – Little Ones (July 2001) – MP3 / YouTube
Jesus gives an object lesson using children. We can learn from children on how to enter the kingdom and earning rewards for the kingdom.
Luke 1:5-7, 57-66 – What Do the Neighbors See? – MP3 / YouTube
Elizabeth and Zacharias are obeying the word of God. They are united by the strongest tie that can bind parents together. They are deeply committed to the will of God for their child, John. Blessed is the home where God is working and where the neighbors can see it. The only way to be a good neighbor is to have a home filled with the obedience and worship of God and where the mercy of God is magnified before men. Other passages: Psalm 127:3; Luke 1:13-7.
Luke 18:28-30 – Children Lost Yet Found (1993) – MP3 / YouTube
There are many ways that parents can lose their children. The very best way to lose a child is to lose a child to God. We are not talking about abandoning our families once and for all, but we are talking about people who are committed to Jesus Christ and their commitment sometimes takes them away from home. A life committed to Jesus is the most rewarding and satisfying life that anyone can live. Don’t expect your children to understand this unless you as a Christian parent understand it yourself. A life of dedication to Jesus Christ, pays off big here and now, but it pays off even bigger in the age to come. If you lose your children to a life of sin, that is a horrible and tragic loss, but if you lose them to God, then you really find them, for you find them as a wonderful joy both in the present time and in the age to come. Other passages: Luke 16:26; John 5:24; John 6:47; John 10:10.