Kingdom
Relationships Course.
Lesson Eleven :
Parent’s Relationship to Children (CSG facilitator and leader’s copy)
WELCOME SECTION: Warmly welcome all the people and ask everyone to introduce
(20 mins) Themselves. Ask all members with children to say what they
feel is their responsibility to their kids.
WORSHIP SECTION : The worship leader should select songs including children
(30 Mins) such as: Father Abraham, Great Awakening (sons and
daughters); Jesus Love me this I know; Jesus love the little
children.
Allow for the operation of the gifts (prophecy, new song etc.)
WORD SECTION : The facilitator should take the group through the attached
(60 mins) Lesson. Get different people to read through the sections
and any Bible Verses. Stop to discuss as prompted allowing
everyone to get involved (drawing in the quieter ones). If
the discussion is going off track bring it back to the main
topic. Be conscious of the time and pace yourself.
If there are any practical excercises take time to discuss the
Lessons learnt in conjuction with the lesson theme and don’t
allow too much wasted time.
When you’ve finished the lesson have a time of praying
For the parents and the children if they are around.
WORKS SECTION
: Pray outwards for unsaved friends , for your neighbourhoods
(10 mins) to have revival, for Singapore as a whole and even for our
missions work in China etc..and other pressing prayer needs.
Close with offering and benediction. Go and eat…..
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Kingdom
Relationships Course.
Lesson Eleven : Parent’s Relationship to Children (CSG
member’s copy)
Read
together Psalm 127. What terms does the Psalmist use to describe Children in
verse 3 ? Discuss.
How
does he depict the potential and possibilities of Children in verse 4 ?
Discuss.
What
is meant in verse 5 ? Discuss.
“Children
are a token of God’s blessing upon our marriage. They are not a reward for
family planning, nor the result of a
biological accident. They are a blessing and a gift from God Himself. They are the
tangiblr and irreversible witness that God has made both parents “one”. Along
with the gift of children comes the responsibility to care for them in the way
that he has specified.”
In
Ephesians 6:4 there are three specific duties for parents given – the first is
negative and the last two positive. What are they ? To whom is Paul giving these instructions ? (see also Colossians
3:21).
Why
do you think this is ? DISCUSS
According
to 1 Thessalonians 2:11 who has the ultimate responsibility for exhorting,
comforting and charging children ?
Who
did God express confidence in concerning the upbringing of children ? (Genesis
18:19)
Who
did God hold responsible for the waywardness of Hophni and Phinehas ? (1 Samuel
3:12-13)
“Mothers
certainly have a calling in the rearing of children, and probably play a grater
role than fathers (See 2 Timothy 1:5), but fathers are responsible. The buck
stops here. In the final analysis it is not the wife, the church or the school,
it is the father.” – do you agree ?Is this the case in most families today ?
Discuss.
The
first command for parents is to be careful not to provoke children unduly. If
parents provoke their children unwisely, it could have one of two effects –
read Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians3:21 and say what those two effects
are….discuss.
Get
a big piece of paper or a white board and list as many ways as you can think as
to how it is possible to provoke children to wrath.
In
Ephesians 6:4 , what particular nurture and admonition are we to give ?
It
would be a huge mistake if we care about the education and physical health of
the children and yet neglect their spiritual upbringing. The word “nurture” means training, education
. It is only used on one other occasion in the N.T (see Ephesians 5:29). It
means tender-loving care. We must care for our children as we do our bodies. If
our bodies are suffering we cannot put off our attention to it. We must take
remedial action. What remedial action does God use with His children when they
are not responding to His way and are walking in rebellion ? Read Hebrew 12:5
and discuss.
Why
does God take this action with us ? Read Hebrews 12:6.
What
action should parents take with their children to remedy bad behaviour ? Read
Proverbs29:15-17.
Ask
one person to read: “The word ‘admonition’ means verbal instruction giving
warning and reproof, just as Solomon did to his son throughout Proverbs.
Christian parents are to take great deliberation and time to explain to
children why we do certain things and forbid others (see Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
Nurture,
then, implies things that are done to the child in upbringing; admonition means
what is spoken to the child. But these things are aids to bring us to the goal
of helping our children to become God-centred adults who reflect the image of
Jesus Christ.”
For
discussion:
(i)
How
would you counsel a person who is a Christian, who is married to a
non-Christian and their ideals for child upbringing clash ?
(ii)
“I’ve
left it too late. My children are now teenagers “. How would you answer that
person ?
(iii)
“We’ve
brought up our children according to Scriptures, but they still have gone
astray”. Comment on this statement.
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