Speaker: Pastor Nate Herrlin

Will my kids turn out OK?

This isn’t a message just for parents.

I am not an expert on parenting.

There are no guarantees.

What can I do to give my kids what they need to succeed?

1. Make sure God and I are WORKING OFF THE SAME BLUEPRINTS.

“Effective parenting involves explaining to our children what they are already seeing in our lives.”
– C.J. Mahaney

2. VIGOROUSLY DEFEND my family’s schedule.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for He grants sleep to those He loves. (Psalm 127:2)

2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat, a mortgage payment, three cars, a cell-phone plan, a cable TV subscription and Disney vacations.

2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling to get your kids to soccer practice, pianos lessons, dance class, and SAT prep…

2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.

“We are raising our kids to be experience-rich but relationship-poor.”

3. REMIND MYSELF DAILY of the treasure God has entrusted to me in my children.

What we leave TO our children is not nearly as important as what we leave IN them.

Why did God give you your children?

4. Give my kids A GREATER DREAM than the American one.

The mission of the family is not ultimately to protect your children but to mobilize them to demonstrate God’s love to a broken world. It’s possible to hang on to our kids so tightly that we forget the ultimate goal of parenting is letting go. We’re fine if our children never climb a mountain as long as it guarantees they never get hurt. But what if your children were made for the mountains?

THE BEST MEASURE OF SUCCESS:

CHILDREN WHO LOVE GOD & LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR.

My NEXT STEP with God, THIS WEEK is to...

-- choose an insight I needed to hear today and write it on my
mirror or tape it to my steering wheel as a daily reminder.

-- examine a typical week for my family. (Are my kids getting more FROM me (experiences) or more OF me (relationship)?

-- watch the movie “Courageous” and write down at least one
thing I plan to do differently as a result of the movie’s message.

-- accept the Summer 2019 Pastors’ Challenge!

-- other