For the last seven weeks at Westlake, we have been talking about discipleship, and what it means to follow Jesus. It is easy to talk about what it looks like in the church, but I believe often we overlook the place where discipleship must begin. One of my greatest concerns as a pastor and as a father is the rapid increase in our country of people who say they don\u2019t have any beliefs in spiritual matters or they don\u2019t see the need for church.\u00a0\u00a0I don\u2019t want to condemn anyone with this, but I think we as parents have to take a hard look at ourselves and ask the question, why are our children growing up this way?\u00a0\u00a0Many parents often look to the church to be the sole spiritual teacher of their children.\u00a0This is not what the Bible teaches however.\u00a0\u00a0The primary teachers of the children were and are to be the parents.\u00a0\u00a0We see this in many places in the Bible.\u00a0\u00a0One such place is what is known as the Shema prayer, that every Jewish person would learn and recite at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day.\u00a0\u00a0It is recorded in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 which says, \u201cHear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.\u00a0\u00a0Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.\u00a0These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.\u00a0\u00a0Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.\u00a0\u00a0Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.\u00a0\u00a0Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0In other words, mom and dad, we need to be teaching, telling, and modeling for our children what it means to love God and follow Him.\u00a0\u00a0The church is meant to be a helper to the parents in the spiritual formation of their children, not the primary teacher.\u00a0Think of it this way; there are 168 hours in a given week.\u00a0\u00a0If you figure that a child gets 8 hours of sleep a night that is 56 hours a week.\u00a0The second most common task for a kid in a week is school.\u00a0\u00a0If they are in school for around 8 hours a day that is 40 hours a week.\u00a0\u00a0So, in two activities for the average child, 96 hours out of 168 are already spoken for.\u00a0\u00a0By the way, if your child is in a public school, they are getting indoctrinated with the world\u2019s philosophies, which are almost always contrary to what Scripture says, for 40 hours a week.\u00a0\u00a0By the way, I\u2019m not condemning any parent who sends their child to a public school, nor am I condemning any public school teacher or worker.\u00a0\u00a0I simply want to point out this discrepancy.\u00a0\u00a0If the church is the primary teacher for your child, at best, the church will get to spiritually form your child for 3 hours a week (Sunday school, worship, and Wednesday night).\u00a0\u00a040 hours of the world\u2019s philosophies versus 3 hours a week of God\u2019s truth.\u00a0\u00a0This is why it is so vital for mom and dad to be the primary spiritual teachers of their children.\u00a0\u00a0Our children will mimic and model the priorities that they see in us.\u00a0\u00a0This is why discipleship must begin in the home!\u00a0We are one generation from a Gospel witness being extinguished in this country, and we are approaching that tipping point quickly.\u00a0\u00a0Therefore, this generation of parents;\u00a0we must stand up, and boldly declare, I will teach and model for my children what it means to love and follow God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more information or resources on how to begin disciplining your children, please reach out to us at westlakebc@gmail.com or you can e-mail me directly at pastorjustin@westlakebaptist.org. May this be the generation where we see people concerned and consumed with the expansion of God’s kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Justin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For the last seven weeks at Westlake, we have been talking about discipleship, and what it means to follow Jesus. It is easy to talk about what it looks like in the church, but I believe often we overlook the … Read More