GROWING A HEALTHY FAMILY
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
October 9, 2022
(Psalm 36:7–10, NLT) “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! … Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts.”
Have you ever pondered the significance of the simple phrase, “God loves you”? It may embody the most important truth anyone can grasp: that God has called us into a loving relationship with Himself. Our part is simply to trust and believe in the deep care and compassion God freely extends to us. How beautiful it is to experience the freedom and joy of a love relationship with God! Chuck Smith, Why Grace Changes Everything, p 7
(Proverbs 17:6, NLT) “Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.”
1. LEARN TO SIMPLIFY.
(Matthew 6:7–8, Message) “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.”
2. BE SINCERE IN WORSHIP.
(1 Samuel 12:24, LB) “Trust the Lord and sincerely worship him; think of all the tremendous things he has done for you.”
Worship is humble and glad; worship forgets itself in remembering God; worship celebrates the truth as God’s truth, not its own. True worship doesn’t put on a show or make a fuss; true worship isn’t forced, isn’t half-hearted, doesn’t keep looking at its watch, doesn’t worry what the person in the next pew may be doing. True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark. –N. T. Wright, For all God’s Worth; True Worship, p 9
3. HAVE FAITH IN GOD.
(Hebrews 11:6, Message) “It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.”
4. BUILD YOUR HOME ON CHRIST.
(Matthew 7:24–29, NLT) “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”
(Proverbs 9:10, LB) “Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding.”
a. TREASURE INNOCENCE. (Protect them.)
(Proverbs 4:23, NLT) “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
b. CULTIVATE A SENSE OF WONDER. (Delight in their discoveries)
(Psalm 16:11, NLT) “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”
c. MAKE YOUR HOME A PLACE OF SAFETY AND WARMTH. (Accept and rejoice in their gifts and talents.)
(Proverbs 14:26, CEV) “If you respect the Lord, you and your children have a strong fortress”
d. SHOW YOUR CHILDREN THE WAY. (Taste and see that the Lord is good.)
(Acts 2:28, NLT) “You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’”