Most parents will do just about anything to protect their children. Many parents will give their own life for their children. One spring day there was a family who went hiking. Along side the trail there was a raging creek. Being it was spring time the water was at its high point. A young boy who was part of the family went near the water. He fell in the raging creek and his mother immediately jumped in to save him. The boy was able to grab onto an overhanging branch and pull himself out of the water. The mother was swept away and drowned.

What parents will do for their children is amazing. They are willing to give their life to save their children. Parents will do anything to save their children from physical death or harm. Parents will do this for their children, but yet they will not prepare them spiritually. It is important to save your child's physical life, but it is much more important to make sure their spiritual life is saved.

How do we prepare our children? We must be diligent in teaching them. We must train them. "Train up a child in the way he should go and he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). We must keep this in mind. If we train our children to follow the Lord then we have a part in where they spend eternity. If we don't train them, them we have a part in where they spend eternity.

Make sure you teach your children to observe all that God has commanded. Children repeat their parents actions. Make sure those actions are some that you want your children to repeat. Make sure you teach your children to observe what God has commanded. Protect them physically and spiritually.

The Impact You Have On Your Children

Your Children Are Watching

It is interesting to watch my children. I am amazed by the things they do. I am proud when they do good but I am disappointed when they do bad. I have watched my children grow up and do the things they have seen me do. I heard my six year old son say, "Dad that TV is just junk." I have watched all my children grow and become very uncomfortable when anything inappropriate comes on the television. They either change the channel or try not to watch. This makes me proud as a father. On the other hand there have been some flaws in my life I have also seen my children adopt. This is really discouraging as a father knowing they learned it from me.

They Repeat Actions

This really makes me realize how much of an impact I have on my children. They observe and they repeat. This is why we must be a great example if we want our children to be a great example. If you want them to know God you must teach them. If you want them to attend worship, you must take them.

Statistics That Speak Loud

A study once disclosed that if both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 72% of their children remain faithful. If only Dad, 55% remain faithful. If only Mom, 15%. If neither attended regularly, only 6% remain faithful. The statistics speak for themselves.

The Result When Children Are Not Raised Properly

We read in 1 Samuel 2:12, Eli had two worthless sons that did not know the Lord. Though Eli was one of the judges spoken of in the Bible, he did a miserable job raising his children. Eli hears of his children's wickedness and has a talk with them. They would not listen to the voice of their father, and the Lord desired to put them to death (1 Samuel 2:25). We see God's attitude when it comes to wickedness. As parents we must take this into account. We must recognize this and train our children to know God. The stats above are powerful, we must be consistent in teaching our children about the Lord. Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 "In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." We must teach our children so that they are not like Eli's sons who died without knowing the Lord. Remember your children are watching, make sure you do the things you want them to repeat.

Would you die for Jesus

If you were preaching and a group of people tried to kill you for preaching Jesus, what would you do? Would you try and get away from that place where you were preaching? I think most people would flee that place. Is there any circumstances in which you would go back into the city where a crowd tried to kill you?

The apostle Paul did that very thing. There were some men who came down from Antioch and Iconium to the city of Lystra. The reason they came to Lystra is because they knew Paul was there preaching the word of God. They hated Paul and it was their desire to put him to death. These men who had come down persuaded the crowds to kill Paul. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead (Acts 14:19).

However, the disciples gathered around Paul and he rose up. Paul then went into the city. Let me say that again, yes he went into the city, the same city he was just stoned in. Paul then went to Derbe the following day (Acts 14:20).

Do you see what just happened, Paul didn't care if he died because he was proclaiming the Lord's name. He was following Jesus and he never ran from those in Lystra who had tried to kill him. Think about the influence this must have had on those he had preached the Gospel to. If Paul would have run after he had been stoned many may have decided they didn't want any part of that. When people saw what happened to him and then he returned back to the same city, this must have had a great impact. People would have realized there was something special about this Jesus for a man to be dedicated like Paul was.

What about us? If someone beat you and told you they would kill you if you spoke about Jesus, what would you do? Would you go back to the same place and preach His name? This may determine how committed you are. Would you give your life for him? Many of us say yes, I would die for Him. There is one thing that is a fact, if you won't live for Him then you will never die for Him.

This week when you come in contact with someone you know is not a Christian, make it a priority to bring up Jesus. People need to know there is a Savior and all of mankind has an opportunity to be saved. Remember Paul was proclaiming Jesus even though his life was on the line, we have no excuse because our life is not on the line.