Ephesians 6:10-20

How To Be Strong

A1 Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-20 WEL Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the highest spiritual forces, powers, rulers of darkness of the world, and spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies. 13 Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to resist on that evil day, and after doing everything possible to still stand. 14 Therefore, stand having truth fastened around your loins and having the breastplate of righteousness on, 15 And your feet shod, prepared by the Gospel of peace. 16 Most importantly taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts from the wicked. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. 18 Always be praying in the spirit with all prayer and requests, and be alert in the same with full perseverance and request for all the saints. 19 And for me, so that a message may be given to me, so that I may boldly open my mouth to make known the mystery of the Gospel. 20 For which I am an ambassador in prison, that in there I may speak boldly as I should speak.

A2 Outline

B1 Command—Be strong

C1 In the Lord

C2 In the power of His might

B2 Put on

C1 Full armor of God

D1 Why—to stand against the wiles of the devil

D2 Why—because we don't wrestle/fight humans but

E1 Principalities

E2 Powers

E3 Rulers of the darkness of this world

E4 Spiritual powers in the heavens

D3 Why—To withstand in the evil day

D4 Why—After doing everything possible to still stand

C2 Armor pieces

D1 Truth around the waist

D2 Righteous around the chest

D3 Prepared for the Gospel on the feet

D4 Faith, the shield to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one

D5 Salvation on the head

D6 The Word of God (the Sword)

C3 With

D1 Prayer

D2 Petition

D3 In all occasions and situations

D4 Praying when alert

D5 Never giving up

D6 For all God's people

D7 For Paul

E1 So he will be bold with the Gospel

E2 In prison

E3 Bold wherever he is

A3 Notes

B1 Brothers

C1 This is addressed to "brothers," that is, all the saints.

C2 W Pickering's notes in his New Testament notes at this passage: Only some 3% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit “my brothers” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.), but since the whole letter is written to Christians, there really is no doubt. Besides, how could an unbeliever put on the full armor of God? Note that Paul writes “our” wrestling match—apostles are also under attack, not to mention pastors, etc.

B2 Be Strong

C1 The opposite would be give up in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord means to not give up in the Lord. We are to remember He is faithful. Hebrews 13:5-6 GNB  Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you."  6 Let us be bold, then, and say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?

C2 The word strong means to be endued with strength, so take strength, become stronger in our faith in God. How do we get stronger?

C3 Compare

D1 We ask God: Psalms 138:3 NKJV  In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

D2 We encourage each other: Isaiah 35:3-4 NKJV  Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.  (4) Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.

D3 God gives strength when it is needed: 2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

D4 We have confidence and faith in God’s ability: Philippians 4:13 NKJV  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

C4 Yet, there may be afflictions, hard times for a SHORT while. 1 Peter 5:10 NKJV  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

B3 In the power of His might.

C1 Power here is kratos, vigor. It has the idea of the strength of a young man. It is fresh strength as opposed to strength that is waning, decreasing.

C2 Compare

D1 Isaiah 40:28 NKJV  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

D2 2 Timothy 4:17 NKJV  But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

B4 Whole armor. If any is missing, Satan may take advantage of that weakness.

C1 Compare: 2 Corinthians 6:7 NKJV  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.

B5 Wiles of the devil.

C1 Tricks, underhanded tactics, lying, slander, abuse, anything to manipulate us to sin/rebel against God or lose hope and faith in Him.

C2 Basically three areas of temptation. 1 John 2:16 NKJV  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

D1 Lust of the flesh

E1 Good lusts are those sanctioned by God and done in moderation as hunger.

E2 Evil lusts are those not sanctioned by God and done without moderation as gluttony.

D2 Lust of the eyes

E1 Good lusts are enjoying beauty and done in moderation.

E2 Evil lusts are enjoying beauty and not done in moderation as "it looks good so I am going to eat it" even though not hungry.

D3 Pride of life

E1 Good lusts are doing work the best to one's ability.

E2 Evil lusts are thinking that the work done by one is better than anyone in the world regardless if true or not true.

D4 Satan uses these in such a way as to motivate us to overdo or to neglect. Overdo would be as a workaholic.

D5 No guilt. The idea that I am a good person.

D6 False guilt. Flashbacks of past failures and/or sin.

B6 Principalities, etc.

C1 These are different strengths, classes, ranks of demons.

C2 These are not human, because the Bible says, "We are not wrestling against humans but..."

B7 God's armor is

C1 For mounting resistance against the Devil's wiles.

C2 Not for mounting an attack against the Devil.

C3 After we have done all we can, it will still protect us.

B8 Truth (a protection for the innards).

C1 Fact and evidence

C2 The only source of 100% truth is the Bible understood in its plain, normal sense.

C3 Anything else may be subjective, that is, we have to decide if it is true or not. This would also include false methods of Bible interpretation.

C4 This protects our innards, abdomen.

C5 It is the tool belt of the soldier.

C6 The Roman name is cingulum or balteus.

C7 It is also had leather pieces hanging from it to protect the lower body.

C8 God’s truth will protect us. If Adam had believed God’s truth concerning the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam would not have sinned.

B9 Righteousness (a protection for the chest).

C1 To protect the heart, lungs, shoulders.

C2 Righteousness is as God defines it. No one is sinless, but can be blameless. Philippians 2:15 LEB  In order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world.

C3 We have to know God's rules for the church.

C4 We have to obey God's rules for the church.

B10 Shoes (for the readiness and boldness to preach the Gospel).

C1 For traction.

C2 For protection from thorns, etc.

C3 We must have the correct Gospel.

C4 We must have willingness to share it with others.

B11 Faith (Shield)

C1 For protection by having a movable blocker.

C2 One has to be alert to watch and hear when and where the projectile is coming from. If one is not alert, they will not know where to turn the shield.

C3 Faith is believing and obeying God. This is the Bible, God's Word to us.

C4 We must resist God’s words (the Bible).

C5 This peace is peace with God.

C6 Society will be better off to for the preaching of the Gospel, because they will be obeying God's rules.

B12 Salvation (Helmet)

C1 We must be truly converted.

C2 Without the helmet all the other armor is useless.

C3 Isaiah 59:17 NKJV  For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak.

B13 The Bible, the Word of God (Sword)

C1 Without knowledge, there can be no fight.

C2 Reading the Bible is good but studying it is a must. We must study and be taught.

C3 Again, we must be alert to know where to strike.

C4 Even if our memory is poor, the Holy Spirit will help us.

C5 We need a stubbornness to hold tightly to the Scriptures.

C6 Proverbs 30:5 NKJV  Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

C7 2 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV  But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

C8 Hebrews 4:12 NKJV  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

C9 Used of

D1 Jesus

D2 Message to the prophets

D3 Jesus' message

D4 Apostle's message

D5 Gospel

D6 All is God's message to humanity

B14 Prayer

C1 Is talking to God. It is part of fellowship with God.

C2 Always. This is to not give up. God always answers prayer—usually it is no. Sometimes, God answers it "yes," but it is not the right time or will be answered in a roundabout way.

C3 Let's not given up.

B15 In the Spirit.

C1 Does not mean in a trance and not alert, for then we would not be alert to Satan's wiles.

C2 Does not mean to read a prayer or someone else's prayer but to pray ourselves without own words.

C3 Does mean to pray pleasing things to God, instead of praying selfish thing as being rich. We are to pray for the salvation of loved ones.

B16 Pray for all the saints (God's people) and also for Paul. Since Paul is dead we can apply this to our pastors, missionaries, or anyone preaching the God to be bold in the faith—Gospel, doctrine, discipline.

A4 Applications

B1 In these days of darkness, we must endeavor to have this armor on always.

B2 We must be constantly alert. It is not the time to be in “the silence.”

B3 We must believe the words of Scripture. Our faith is a reasonable faith, not a blind faith.

B4 We must trust God to help us.

B5 We must pray for one another.

Ephesians 6:5-9

A1 Scripture

B1 Ephesians 6:5-9 WEL Servants be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh with deep respect and trembling in single loyalty of your heart as to Christ. 6 Not pleasing them only when they are watching, instead, be servants of Christ doing God's will from the heart, 7 With a cheerful willingness doing your work as to the Lord and not to men. 8 Knowing that whatever good thing anyone does, he will receive from the Lord, whether he is a freeman or servant. 9 Masters, you must do the same to them, stay away from threatening, knowing that your Master is also in heaven, neither is there any partiality with him.

B3 Ephesians 6:5-9 GNB Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling; and do it with a sincere heart, as though you were serving Christ. (6) Do this not only when they are watching you, because you want to gain their approval; but with all your heart do what God wants, as slaves of Christ. (7) Do your work as slaves cheerfully, as though you served the Lord, and not merely human beings. (8) Remember that the Lord will reward each of us, whether slave or free, for the good work we do. (9) Masters, behave in the same way toward your slaves and stop using threats. Remember that you and your slaves belong to the same Master in heaven, who judges everyone by the same standard.

A2 Outline

B1 Servants/Slaves/Employees

C1 Obey

C2 Fear and trembling

C3 Simplicity of heart

C4 As to Christ

C5 Not with eyeservice

C6 As men pleasers

C7 But as slaves of Christ

C8 Doing the will of God wholeheartedly

C9 With good will

C10 As to the Lord

C11 Not to men

B2 God's principle

C1 Knowing that whatever good thing anyone does

C2 The same will receive back from the Lord

C3 Whether slave or free

B3 Masters/Employers

C1 Do the same towards them

C2 Do not threaten

C3 Know that your Master is in heaven

C4 Your master has no partiality

A3 Notes

B1 Slaves, Bond-servants

C1 Defined

D1 The main idea is service.

D2 This is not the cruel slavery as was practiced in the Old South. Compare: Some Initial Reflections on Slavery in the New Testament by Dr. Daniel B. Wallace.

D3 Female slaves in the Old Testament

E1 Scripture: Exodus 21:7-9 GW Whenever a man sells his daughter into slavery, she will not go free the way male slaves do. (8) If she doesn't please the master who has chosen her as a wife, he must let her be bought back by one of her close relatives. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has treated her unfairly. (9) But if he has chosen her for his son, he must treat her like a daughter.

E2 Explanation

F1 Especially referring to getting a wife by slavery laws.

F2 The father owns a man money.

F3 The man who wants to marry the daughter has no money to pay a dowry.

F4 So the father sells her to the man as a slave for the purpose of being the man's wife, and the man who gets the wife doesn't have to pay a dowry.

F5 The daughter can walk free if the man who wants to marry her treats her badly.

D4 Most slaves in the Old Testament were slaves because of debt. God required them to be free from slavery after 7 years and debt free. Compare Deuteronomy 15:1-9.

D5 Slaves could be bought out of slavery by kinsman redeemer or after 7 years of service.

D6 By the Jubilee (Leviticus 25).

D7 By injury of the slave. If the slave owner injury a slave, the slave was free. Exodus 21:26-27 GW Whenever an owner hits his male or female slave in the eye and the slave is blinded, he must let the slave go free to make up for the loss of the eye. 27 If the owner knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to make up for the loss of the tooth.

D8 By escape. Deuteronomy 23:15 GW If a slave escapes from his master and comes to you, don't return him to his master.

D9 By the rejection of a female slave by her owner. Deuteronomy 21:14 GW But if it happens that you are no longer pleased with her, let her go wherever she wants. You must never sell her or mistreat her as if she were a slave, since you've already had sex with her.

D10 By paying off his (own) debt.

D11 By God's command. Jeremiah 34:8-10 GW The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves. (9) Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was supposed to keep another Jew as a slave. (10) All the officials and all the people agreed and promised to free their male and female slaves and not to keep them as slaves anymore. So they set them free.

D12 New Testament laws were similar. Slaves were to obey and do their work as unto the Lord, and masters had to treat them as brothers.

D13 Slavery was taught to be wrong (1 Corinthians 7:23 GNB God bought you for a price; so do not become slaves of people), but if a person was a slave, God had strict rules to follow.

C2 The difference between God's version of a Master/servant relationship and humanity's

D1 God's version

E1 Trusts His servants. Delegates to His servants. Matthew 24:45 GNB Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time.

E2 Rewards His servants for good work. Matthew 25:23 GNB 'Well done, you good and faithful servant!' said his master. 'You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!'

E3 Is moved by compassion. Forgives debts. Matthew 18:27 GNB The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go.

E4 Avoid being slaves of anything (sin, etc. These are addictions to any sin as addicted to lying, stealing, blaspheming God, idolatry, hate and so on. 1 Corinthians 7:23 GNB God bought you for a price; so do not become slaves of people.

E5 To be fair and just. Colossians 4:1 GNB Masters, be fair and just in the way you treat your slaves. Remember that you too have a Master in heaven.

D2 Man’s version is the opposite.

B2 Obey

C1 Defined: To do what was asked. Romans 6:16 GNB Surely you know that when you surrender yourselves as slaves to obey someone, you are in fact the slaves of the master you obey—-either of sin, which results in death, or of obedience, which results in being put right with God.

C2 Example: Hebrews 11:8 GNB It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going.

B3 According to the flesh. This refers to fellow humans like ourselves. The other Master is God himself, and He is not flesh. While Jesus became flesh for us, He nonetheless is God who is spirit, not flesh.

B4 Simplicity of heart/singleness of heart/sincere heart. This refers to not having any ulterior motivations, making a facade to prevent loyalty and faithfulness but in heart being the very opposite. This is a type of hypocrisy, but God wants honesty or as worded here simplicity of heart. God also expects us to have this attitude towards Him, our Master. The word also signifies an attitude of freely giving without strings attached. Compare James 1:5 NRSV If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.

B5 Eye service. This means someone works only when the boss is around and otherwise they do little.Proverbs 18:9 GNB A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive.

B6 Men pleasers. Sucking up to the boss, but not really doing any work.

B7 Servants of Christ. As we would serve the Lord Jesus, we need to serve our masters on earth.

B8 Doing the will of God from the heart. This means with a good attitude and motivation with honesty. A boss can trust a person like that. Matthew 25:21 NKJV His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

B9 Good thing...Lord. God watches us and will reward us for out faithfulness in how we live our life here.

B10 Bond or free. God doesn't give a better reward to a rich than to a poor person, nor a free person more than a servant.

B11 Masters. This means that the master has to have the same good attitude and actions that his slave/servant/employee must do. There are two types of leaders. The first is the control freak bully who treats those under him with abuse. He is like Nimrod—a mighty hunter. The second type of leader is the shepherd type who is firm and monitoring but delegates duties and gives freedom to obey or disobey. He is like the Lord Jesus.

B12 Forebear threatening. As above it reflects a type of leadership. A good leader does not have to threaten, because those under him will want to obey.

B13 Master in heaven. This means that a leader/master/employer is being watched by God. God is the master's Master and will reward or punish depending how he/she leads here on earth.

A4 Applications

B1 God is our Master. We must learn His ways and live His ways.

B2 We are to treat every as God treats us.

B3 God does not play favorites.

B4 God knows what we think and do.

B5 We are bond-slaves of Jesus, who is the King of the Universe and Head of the Church.

A Few Thoughts on 1 Samuel 16:7

1 Samuel 16:7 NIV - But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Our outward appearance

We may think ourselves as the most ugly person ever: we have ears on stalks, bulging eyes, crooked smile, skin that looks like a pizza, huge nose, and ugly feet.

What does God look at? The heart.

Examples of Failures

• Saul: 1 Samuel 9:2 NIV - Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
• Absalom: 2 Samuel 14:25 NIV - In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.
• A beautiful person with a dangerous personality: Proverbs 31:30 NIV - Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Examples of the good heart

• David: 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV - But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
• Lord Jesus: Isaiah 53:2 NIV - He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
• Paul: 2 Corinthians 10:10 NIV - For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."

What God knows:

• A person’s thinking and inner person: Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
• Religious people who trust in themselves: Luke 16:15 NIV - He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight.
• The inner self: 1 Peter 3:4 NIV - Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

What God wants us to know and do:

• Judging people according to truth: John 7:24 NIV - Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.
• Making judgments according to appearance: 2 Corinthians 10:7 NIV - You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.
• Outward beauty often leads to pride: Ezekiel 28:17 NIV - Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.

Be encouraged! Real friends, family, and co-workers appreciate your person more than your looks.

God looks at the heart, so we need to develop our heart.

• We are getting older but getting higher quality: 2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV - Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
• We need the truth, tell the truth, and live the truth: Colossians 3:9-10 NIV - Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
• Recognize that the outward, valued so much by some, is of little worth to God: Luke 16:15 NIV - He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight.

We need to pray for and live this: Galatians 5:22-23 NIV - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Ephesians 6:1-4

A1 Scripture

(Ephesians 6:1-4 WPNT) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise—“that it may go well with you and you may live long on the earth.” And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

A2 Outline

B1 Children obey your parents

C1 It is right

C2 It is commanded

D1 First commandment with promise

D2 "Honor your father and mother"

D3 "That it may go well with you, and you may live long on the earth."

C3 Greek

D1 The word for obey is G5219 ὑπακούω hypakoúō. It means

E1 Literally, to hear under

E2 We understand it as listen to be able to follow instructions, so as to obey.

F1 The wind and sea heard the Lord Jesus and calmed (Matthew 8:27).

F2 People listen to and obey fleshly lusts (Romans 6:12).

F3 People listening to and obeying the Gospel (Romans 10:16).

E3 It is translated obey and listen (Acts 12:13).

D2 The word for honor is G5091 τιμάω timáō.

E1 Literally, to assign a value to. The Lord Jesus’s assigned value was only 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 27:9).

E2 It is used to honor God, parents, widows, and all people (1 Peter 2:17).

E3 The Lord Jesus honored His father in John 8:49, so I should be proud of my dad (proud in a good sense).

E4 Some dads are not worthy of honor because they are abusive.

B2 Fathers

C1 Do not provoke your children to anger

D1 Provoke is

E1 G3949 παροργίζω parorgízō. It means to make angry, bitter, going from a calm state to wrath.

E2 In English: to deliberately try to make someone angry (Source).

E3 Examples

F1 1 Samuel 20:30-34 NRSV Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan. He said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? (31) For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die." (32) Then Jonathan answered his father Saul, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" (33) But Saul threw his spear at him to strike him; so Jonathan knew that it was the decision of his father to put David to death. (34) Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food on the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, and because his father had disgraced him.

F2 1 Samuel 1:6-7 NRSV Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. (7) So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.

F3 1 Kings 16:33 NRSV Ahab also made a sacred pole. Ahab did more to provoke the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than had all the kings of Israel who were before him.

D2 What are the most common ways we as fathers do this? Here’s a helpful list from Lou Priolo.

1. Lack of marital harmony
2. Establishing and maintaining a child-centered home
3. Modeling sinful anger
4. Habitually disciplining in anger
5. Scolding
6. Being inconsistent with discipline
7. Having double standards
8. Being legalistic
9. Not admitting you’re wrong and not asking for forgiveness
10. Constantly finding fault
11. Parents reversing God-given roles
12. Not listening to your child’s opinion or taking his or her ‘side of the story’ seriously
13. Comparing them to others
14. Not making time ‘just to talk’
15. Not praising or encouraging your child
16. Failing to keep your promises
17. Chastening in front of others
18. Not allowing enough freedom
19. Allowing too much freedom
20. Mocking your child
21. Abusing them physically
22. Ridiculing or name calling
23. Unrealistic expectations
24. Practicing favoritism
25. Child training with worldly methodologies inconsistent with God’s Word

C2 Bring them up (cherish them to train them) them in

D1 Nurture (education, instruction) of the Lord

D2 Admonition (calling attention to, mild rebuke, or warning (Thayer’s) of the Lord

B3 Our motive:

C1 Our motive is to please God in doing what is right.

C2 Teach by our life, example, and guidance self-control and expecting it from the children. Included in this would be to learn to sit still so they can learn in church, school, etc.

B4 Instruction of the Lord

C1 Instruction is constructive criticism with encouragement.

C2 "You have done well, but here is a few tips of doing better."

C3 Verses

D1 1 Corinthians 10:11 NRSV These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

D2 Titus 3:10 NRSV After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions.

B5 Of the Lord

C1 The Lord's way. The way God educates and instructs.

C2 Parents are to teach their children how to be the type of man or woman God wishes.

C3 With the help and approval of God.

A3 Applications

B1 God is our example of how to live.

B2 God wants us to be successful as He defines it.

B3 God children to be successful as He defines it.

B4 We must be consistent in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.

B5 Our home should be God centered, then spouse centered (after the child turns 2), but not child centered. Your spouse is more important than your child.

Advent for 25 Dec 18

Luke 2:6-11 NRSV  While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.  7  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.  8  In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  10  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  11  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

Messiah was born. The holy angels knew, the shepherds knew, the wise men knew, Joseph knew, Mary knew, and what about us? Do we know? I pray it is so. Be thankful that our only hope was born.