The Responsibilities
of Parents
Psalm 127:3-5
Psalm 127:3-5
Behold, children are a heritage
from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a
reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a
warrior, So are the children of one's youth. 5
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of
them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall
speak with their enemies in the gate.
With such great blessings come
great responsibilities, before God.
The Responsibilities of Parents
• Provide for our children
Matt. 6:31-32; 1 Tim. 5:8; Titus 2:4-5
Matthew 6:31-32
Therefore do not worry, saying,
‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we
drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after
all these things the Gentiles seek. For your
heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things.
Would that our children could have
the same confidence in us that we
have in the Almighty!
1 Timothy 5:8
But if anyone does not provide
for his own, and especially for those of his
household, he has denied the faith and is
worse than an unbeliever.
Not referring to inability, but
unwillingness or indolence.
Titus 2:4-5
(Older women), ...that they
admonish the young women to love their
husbands, to love their children, 5 to be
discreet, chaste, homemakers, good,
obedient to their own husbands, that the
word of God may not be blasphemed.
Mothers need to provide the loving and
stable home that a child needs to thrive.
(love: philoteknos – fond of one’s children)
The Responsibilities of Parents
• Provide for our children
Matt. 6:31-32; 1 Tim. 5:8; Titus 2:4-5
• Teach our children
Prov. 22:6; Deut. 6:6-9; Eph. 6:4;
2 Tim. 1:5, 3:15; (Teach respect)
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he
should go, And when he is old he will not
depart from it.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
And these words which I
command you today shall be in your heart. 7
You shall teach them diligently to your
children, and shall talk of them when you sit
in your house, when you walk by the way,
when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand,
and they shall be as frontlets between your
eyes. 9 You shall write them on the
doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Ephesians 6:4
And you, fathers, do not
provoke your children to wrath, but bring
them up in the training and admonition of
the Lord.
2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15
(1:5), When I call to remembrance
the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt
first in your grandmother Lois and your
mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you
also.
(3:15), And that from childhood you have
known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to
make you wise for salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
Mothers can be effective teachers too!
A most important concern
( Teach children to be respectful )
• Parents: “Honor your father and mother”
(Ephesians 6:1-2)
• Their Elders: “Do not rebuke an older man,
but exhort him as a father” (1 Timothy 5:1-2)
• Those in Authority: “Remind them to be
subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to
be ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1)
• Especially for God: “Fear God and keep
His commandments, For this is man's all”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13)
The Responsibilities of Parents
• Provide for our children
Matt. 6:31-32; 1 Tim. 5:8; Titus 2:4-5
• Teach our children
Prov. 22:6; Deut. 6:6-9; Eph. 6:4;
2 Tim. 1:5, 3:15; (Teach respect)
• Set a good example for our children
Matt. 5:13-16; Priority Quotes; Matt. 16:26
Matthew 5:13-16
You are the salt of the earth;
but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be
seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be
thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14
You are the light of the world. A city that is set
on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light
a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a
lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in
the house. 16 Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works and
glorify your Father in heaven.
Leading by Example 1
Our children will be watching how we act
in public. They will learn how to interact
socially by watching the way that we talk
and act around others. Godly behavior must
be consistent inside the home as well as
outside of the home. How much of a
difference do your children see between “at
home” parents and “out in public” parents?
(Heath Rogers, Watchman, 2/12)
Leading by Example 2
Children need to see their father loving and
cherishing their mother, and their mother loving
and honoring their father. They need to see their
father and mother reading their Bible, getting
their Bible lessons ready, praying, extending
hospitality to others, visiting shut-ins, and making
trips to visit the sick. All of these examples will
give them the foundation and cues that they need
to develop a life of service unto Christ and others.
(Heath Rogers, Watchman, 2/12)
Leading by Example 3
Children need to see that the Lord’s church is important to
their parents. Habitual tardiness and sporadic attendance
tells your children that the church is not important. If we
allow other events to come before assembling with the saints,
our children will learn that family get-togethers, sporting
events, studying for exams, club meetings, vacations, hunting
trips, shopping trips, etc., are more important than the things
that happen when the saints assemble. While there may be
exceptions, the general rule is that sporadic attendance on the
part of the parents will result in no attendance on the part of
their grown children. What does it profit if your children are
the best athletes, voted club president, graduate at the top of
their class and receive full-ride scholarships, etc., and lose
their soul for eternity (Matthew 16:26)?
(Heath Rogers, Watchman, 2/12)
Matthew 16:26
For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and loses his
own soul? Or what will a man give in
exchange for his soul?
The Responsibilities of Parents
• Provide for our children
Matt. 6:31-32; 1 Tim. 5:8; Titus 2:4-5
• Teach our children
Prov. 22:6; Deut. 6:6-9; Eph. 6:4;
2 Tim. 1:5, 3:15; (Teach respect)
• Set a good example for our children
Matt. 5:13-16; Priority Quotes; Matt. 16:26
• Discipline our children
Prov. 19:18; 1 Sam. 3:12-14; Prov. 13:24
Proverbs 19:18
Chasten your son while there
is hope, And do not set your heart on his
destruction.
1 Samuel 3:12-14
In that day I will perform
against Eli all that I have spoken concerning
his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I
have told him that I will judge his house
forever for the iniquity which he knows,
because his sons made themselves vile, and
he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I
have sworn to the house of Eli that the
iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned
for by sacrifice or offering forever.
Proverbs 13:24
He who spares his rod hates
his son, But he who loves him disciplines
him promptly.
Conclusion
Good parenting will bring delight to
fathers and mothers. “Correct your son,
and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give
delight to your soul” (Proverbs 29:17).
But, mistakes made can bring bitter fruit.
“A foolish son is a grief to his father, And
bitterness to her who bore him”
(Proverbs 17:25).