DECIDE TO WALK WITH GOD THIS YEAR

The most important thing one must do to be a good Christian is walk with God.  The most important thing one must do to be a good parent is walking with God.  The most important thing one must do to be anything good for God is to walk with God.  The Bible says that Noah and Enoch walked with God.  When we walk with God, we will be wise.  Proverbs 13:20a says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise:”  We need wisdom to lead and help people the way we should.

However, if we are to walk with God, and we must agree with God.  Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”   If a person is to walk with God, they must agree with God.  It is amazing to see how many people talk about having a close relationship with God, and yet don’t agree with God in their life.  Have you ever looked at the things in your life to see if God would agree with them?  It is something everyone should do.

Walking with God is a great thing, but in order to walk with God, we must first agree with God.   

Wed. Bible Studies: What My Children Must Know (Week 4)

FINANCES

Solomon taught his son about finances more than just about anything.

16 rich….17 riches….8 substance...13 gold……12 silver…..

37 poor…...8 increase…

Here are seven days worth of devotions for you to teach your children on finances.  You will be glad you did.

Day 1 – Put God first with all you have.

Prov 3:9-10 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Prov 13:7  There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

Day 2 – Wisdom is better than gold or silver

Prov 3:13-14  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

Prov 16:16  How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver

Day 3 – Instruction, knowledge and a good name is better than gold.

Prov 8:10  Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

Prov 8:19  My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

Prov 22:1-2  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2          The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

Day 4 – You will be poor if you are a slacker, or lazy.

Prov 10:4  He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Day 5 – If you trust in your riches then you will fall.

Prov 11:28  He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

Day 6 – Riches will not profit you in the end…only righteousness.

Prov 11:4  Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Day 7 – If we have mercy on the poor, then we will be happy.

Prov 14:21  He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Prov 14:31  He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

Prov 22:16  He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

OTHER FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES

Strong men keep and save their money

Prov 11:16  A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.

God gives riches to people that are humble and that fear God.

Prov 22:4  By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

If you set your eyes on worthless things, they riches will leave us.

Prov 23:5  Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Money does not last forever.

Prov 27:24  For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation

Wed. Bible Studies: What My Children Must Know (Week 3)

LYING
(We all want our children to be sweet and cute, but lying will destroy the most beautiful child.  We must teach our children how bad this sin is.  Use this lesson as a devotion for the week - repetition is the key to learning, so here are seven days worth of verses to use to teach them about lying.)

Day 1 - Prov 6:16-17 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

God hates a lying tongue.  There are some things that makes God so mad that God says he hates that.  Lying is one of those things.  Teach your children that God hates lying and we wouldn’t want to do anything that God hates.

Day 2 - Prov 10:18  He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

We shouldn’t hide anything with lies.  Many people lie to hide something, but most of the time it comes out and it is worse after that.  God says if we lie to hide something, then we are a fool.

Day 3 - Prov 12:19  The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

We need to teach our children not to live for the moment, but to live for the long term.  Teach them that lying might help you for a little while, but it will destroy your life, marriage, children and future.  Teach them the difference in long term blessings and short term happiness.

Day 4 - Prov 12:22  Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.

When a person lies with their lips, God says it is an abomination to Him.  An abomination is extreme hatred.  God doesn’t just hate it, He extremely hates it.  There is no stronger word to God than abomination.  We don’t want God to feel that way about us.  God says if we deal truly, or with truth, then we are God’s delight.  Would you rather be an abomination to God or His delight? 

Day 5 - Prov 13:5  A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.

Teach your children that not only does God hate lying, but good people will have lying.  The strongest motivation in most young people’s lives is what people think of them.  It shouldn’t be the case, but many times it is.  This should be used to keep them from lying, by telling them that good people will hate lying.

Day 6  - Prov 17:7  Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

Our children are children of the king.  That makes them princes and princeses.  A good way to teach them is that because they are Christians and that they are children of the king, that they are not supposed to lie.  This is a good way to praise them and to build up their self-worth to God and help them to tell the truth.  There are things that Solomon teaches his son by telling him that is not for kings.  Prov 31:4 says, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink.” Our children should know that the children of the devil will do some of these things, but lying and drink is not for us.

Day 7 - Prov 19:5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

 Prov 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

Solomon teaches his son that when someone is a false witness (they lie) that they will not escape.  That is good to teach them that they will not get by with it.  They may trick some people for a while, but God always sees it, and other people will eventually catch up with knowing if someone is a liar.  The other thing interesting thing is that four verses down after Solomon tells him that a liar will be punished, he repeats it and tells them that they will perish.  It is almost like Solomon could tell his son wasn’t listening and paying attention so he taught him again and made the punishment harder.  There are so many principles to learn and also to learn how Solomon taught is son.

HOW TO FIX LYING

Þ Children will not be perfect, and we don’t expect them to be, but they don’t have to lie.

Þ If a child does wrong and lies about it, there is a double error, and there should be two spankings.

Þ The spanking for lying should be bigger and more.  We know they will do wrong, but they don’t have to lie about it.

Þ Take time to tell them after the first spanking that if they had told the truth, they would be all done and there would be no more spankings.

Þ When questioning them, give them an extra chance to tell the truth by reminding them what happens when they lie.  Back up and start again if you think they are lying.

Þ Ask God to give you wisdom, and insight to know when they are lying.

Þ Fix the lying early.  The older they are the better they will learn how to lie.

Þ Praise them anytime they tell the truth.  Make a big deal of that.

Þ Memorize the verses on lying, and let them know of the punishment for lying.

Þ We need to make sure we always tell the truth.

LAST MINUTE SHOPPING

Today, there were many people going around to all the stores on a frantic search for a gift.  Some people  wait until the last minute on purpose to do all their shopping.  These people are usually called “men.”  Other people rush to find a gift for the person they forgot.  Then we wonder how we could forget to buy a gift for them.

In reviewing your Christmas list, have you forgotten the most important person?  It is Jesus’ birthday, and He would like a gift.  He wants you!  Why don’t you get saved this holiday season?  Why don’t you give Jesus a present and get back into church?  Why don’t you give Jesus a gift of reading your Bible and praying faithfully?  If Jesus already has you, then why don’t you spend some time  helping others decide to give themselves to Him?  They might just need someone to remind them to give Jesus a present.

Wed. Bible Studies: What My Children Must Know (Week 2)

A CHILD MUST BE WARNED OF PEOPLE

Solomon goes out of his way to teach many times on the different types of people there are and warns his son to stay away from and to watch out for them.  Solomon knows in his wisdom that people don’t mess up because of something.  People mess up because of someone.   The Bible says in Galatians 5:7, “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” It wasn’t a thing that hindered them, it was a person that hindered them.

Solomon warns his son about the foolish man, the wicked man, the evil man, the cruel man, the slothful man, the wrathful man, the ungodly man, the furious man, the mad man, the deceitful man, the violent man, the froward man, and the angry man.  He warns his son about the foolish woman, the strange woman, the evil woman, the whorish woman, the brawling woman, the odious woman, the angry woman and a contentious woman.  It is amazing how many people Solomon warns his son about.  So many people don’t want to be guilty of “judging” someone; they would rather let their children mess up their life by not warning them about the wrong types of people.

Day 1 - Prov 4:14-17  Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.  For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.  For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

There are some wicked people out there who just aren’t happy unless they are messing up their life and trying to destory the lives of others.  We must teach our children about them.

Day 2 - Prov 14:7  Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

We are to teach our children to leave when they see that a man is foolish and does not talk with knowledge.

Day 3 - Prov 13:20  He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

We need to teach our children that even if they are not doing anything wrong, but are hanging around with the wrong crowd, they will be destroyed along with them.  This is a hard thing for people to understand, but this is true.  For the last ten years I have preached at our local county jail.  One of the biggest reasons someone is there is they really didn’t do anything, but they were with someone who committed a crime.  According to the law, this is accessory to a crime and you are guilty.  God’s word is true – even if we just hang around fools, our lives will be messed up in the process.

Day 4 - Prov 22:24-25 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

If we allow our children to make friendship with a person who is angry, they will become like them. 

Day 5 - Prov 16:27-29 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.

In these three verses, Solomon teaches his son what an ungodly man will do, what a froward man will do and what a violent man will do.  Our children must know what to look for to avoid it.

Day 6 - Prov 2:16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

Solomon warns his son as much about the wrong kind of woman as the wrong kind of men.  A wrong woman can mess up a man faster than just about anything.  Make sure they understand this.

Day 7 - Prov 21:9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

Solomon goes out of his way to paint a mental picture of how horrible it is to live with a brawling woman.  Teach your son not to even date a girl who has a bad temper.  It will be used on him one day.