Sunday School Lesson Outlines

Parent's Duties

It is in the home that children learn the basic principles of accountability for their actions. First to those around him or her, and ultimately to God! We all know a lot of teens that we judge, (which is wrong) because they are rebellious, mean, bullies, tattooed, etc. It may possible that they never had an opportunity or at least not the same opportunity as most.

Apply this to your life - Deuteronomy 11:19

• And you shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. (NASB)

Basically the Word is saying is walk the talk. Children learn by example, not words. A Parent's duty is not just raising Christian children. If you really want to put this into context, go back to Deuteronomy 11:13

• So, if you faithfully (no doubt/no worry) obey the commands I am giving you today which is simply to love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul; THEN I will send rain on your land in its seasons, both autumn and spring rains. That means you may gather in your grain, along with your new wine and oil.

Deuteronomy 11:15

• And He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you shall eat and be satisfied. (NASB)

It is teaching a whole village and helping each other. Being held responsible ourselves; and making it clear even when the choices are hard, that you will choose, and others will learn from your faith.

But read the warning - Deuteronomy 11:16-17

• Beware, lest your hearts be deceived and you turn away and serve other gods and worship them. Or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you. (NASB)

Then look at God's teaching tool - Deuteronomy 11:18

• You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. (NASB)

Deuteronomy 11:19

• And you shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. (NASB)

I have always had a different verse on the refrigerator each week. This was not just for myself to memorize, but also my children also saw it everyday and they learned that simple way of hiding The Word in their hearts.

• Remember how easy it was for Eve to fall for the serpent's words?
• Remember when the Jews built an idol to worship while Moses was up in the mountains getting the Ten commandments?

It is hard to be a constant role model for principles. The Lord tells us this upfront to use some cheat sheets to remind each other of the precepts contained in Scripture. This is so important that you need to pull out all the stops. Whatever might work in learning and memorization of scripture should be attempted. Do this together as a family or with friends. Help each other out! The punishment of straying from scripture is great and gains momentum as generations go by.

Get an accountability group together and ask each other the hard questions!

• Did you lust after another woman this week?
• Were you jealous of friend's new car?
• Did you resent the co-worker that got the promotion instead of you?

Both women and men need accountability groups. These need to be small (containing four to five members) and private with no one sharing another persons struggles. Accountability is a time for openness so prayer can be used and effective. It is a time to hold each other up. Children see adults are meeting together to hold each other accountable and they learn from this. Genuine Christians help each other! Children need to see this in action in order to learn it. It cannot be taught with words.

Get creative and do whatever it takes to keep each other pure, and therefore being the example our children can learn from. Jesus did whatever it took (even unto death) while on this earth. He set an example for us as children of God. We have the same responsibility as parents.

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