By Pastor Terry Coomer, Director of For the Love of the Family Ministries. This is an outreach of  the Elwood Bible  Baptist Church in Elwood, Indiana. [P.O. Box 535, 504 North 12th Street,  Elwood, IN  46036. 765-552-1973 (phone), TLCOOMER@juno.com (e-mail),  www.churchpages.org/fortheloveofthefamily/  

Nineteen Helpful Thoughts on Rearing Children For God. 

The goal of every Christian parent in life should not to be to rear a "good  kid" or have students who are excelling academically, are great athletes,  and so forth. The goal is to equip our children, these young saints "for  the work of the ministry" (Ephesians 4:12, Mark 10:45). Our goal as  Christian parents is to train them to stay on the road of usefulness to  God. If, in the end, they are unusable to Christ, they are not handling  life spiritually and wisely, both they and we have failed.

1. Make sure to encourage your children to read biographies and  autobiographies of Christians of the past. As a young Christian I immersed  myself in these books and they were a blessing to my life. We encouraged  our children to read these books and it helped them to see how God had  worked in other Christian's lives.

2. Make sure your children hear you pray, and in your prayer let them hear  you calling their name to God. Teach your children how to pray.

3. Make sure you show your children how to do personal devotions and that  they see you read the Bible and do personal devotions. Make sure you read  and explain the Bible to your children. Your personal, intimate, and real  spiritual relationship with God will be the most important influence in  rearing your children for God. The second will be conveying to your  children the way to have that relationship and for them to have an  intimate, personal, passionate relationship with the Lord.

4. Make sure you put God first in your life and giving. Make sure that you  explain that all money is God's money not just 10 percent. Make sure that  you explain giving to the Lord to your children and that your children see  you give to the Lord. As your children are given money or work for money  make sure they understand that giving begins at an early age.

5. Make sure your children see you submit yourself to the Holy Spirit.  Encourage them to submit themselves to the Holy Spirit. As the Lord works  in your life it does not hurt the children to see you come forward in a  service and submit yourself more fully to God.

6. Make sure you share your personal testimony of salvation with your  children. Tell them how you got saved. Pray earnestly for your children to  be saved and make sure they understand the gospel. Seek to see your  children come to know Christ at an early age.

7. Make sure your children see you give out gospel tracts to others. Take  them on visitation with you.

8. Make sure your children hear you give a clear presentation of the gospel  to an unsaved person. Teach your children how to give that presentation.

9. Make sure your children hear you tell others how much your local church  means to you. Make sure they understand the importance of faithful church  attendance.

10. Make sure your children hear you and your wife tell each other that you  love each other.

11. Make sure your children hear you express gratitude to God for His  blessing in your life and family.

12. Make sure you tell your children you love them often and consistently.

13. Make sure you explain Bible truth to your children and make practical  application of that truth in the daily activities of life.

14. Make sure you explain the great doctrinal truths of the Bible to your  children. It is very important to explain how the Holy Spirit works in your  life. Explain what it means to be filled (controlled by the Holy Spirit).

15. Make sure you are attending a good, sound Bible preaching and teaching  church. Make sure the emphasis of the church is upon growing spiritually,  winning the lost, and not activity orientation. Do not look for a church  because of the activities it has for children. Look for a church that has  emphasis on teaching spiritual truth to you and your family. Look for a  church that has the ministry of the Word of God as their primary emphasis.  Look for a church that encourages godliness and holy living. Look for a  church that does not have emphasis on ungodly music (music that appeals to  the flesh rather than the spirit) such as contemporary Christian music,  southern gospel music and an overall emphasis on music instead of God's  Word. Many churches worship youth groups and music rather than God. (By the  way that is idolatry). Look for a church that has an emphasis on hymn music.

16. Make sure to guard your children from the worldly television  influences, worldly music, and worldly peer and ungodly friendship  influences. Make sure to not allow your children to start concentrating on  the opposite sex at an early age. Make sure you are the most important  influence in your children's life.

17. Make sure you live a holy life separate from worldliness, evil, and  ungodliness. Make sure your life is a testimony of holiness not only at  church but home as well.

18. Make sure your children are educated in a Biblical, Godly, Christian,  wholesome atmosphere. Do not be deceived that educating your children in  the world's system (which is the devil's system) will not affect your  children.

19. Make sure you are seeking to develop godly Christian character in your  children's lives by proper discipline. A child must learn to obey the first  time. A child must learn to never have to be told more than once to obey.  Make sure to discipline correctly and consistently. Make sure you as a  parent pay attention and work at proper discipline. It is your  responsibility to teach your child how to concentrate. Make sure you always  discipline improper attitude and reaction.

Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: (means given to us by  God for safe keeping for Him) and the fruit of the womb is his reward."