Ephesians || A Successful Life for Kids || May 5, 2024

1. OBEY YOUR PARENTS
2. Obey: To listen under
3. IN THE LORD: Because you belong to the Lord
4. For it is the RIGHT THING to do.
5. It is a righteous thing to do.
6. It is in line with the word and will of God.
7. It is a natural act: 
8. This appears to be innate in creation.
9. HONOR YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER
10. Honor: 
11. to love them and regard them highly
12. to show them respect and consideration
13. What does honoring our parents look like?
14. God is a God of relationships so honoring our parents involves the things of God.
15. Unity with our parents
16. Peace in our relationship with our parents.
17. Respecting their authority
18. Parents become our first education in submission
19. We OBEY our parents BECAUSE we HONOR them
20. We love and respect them so we desire to be obedient to them.
21. This is like our relationship with Jesus. He says,
22. John 15:10 (NLT): When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
23. THINGS WILL GO WELL FOR YOU
24. You will be warned from harms way.
25. You will be spared bad habits and actions AND bad friends who will lead you into things that may harm you.
26. You will live a long life on earth.
27. FATHERS DON’T PROVOKE YOUR CHILDREN TO ANGER
28. Fathers 
29. Paul is establishing a new ethic between Father and Child because kids didn’t have a voice and a father could do whatever he wanted to do. Paul is telling the Father to not make them angry. Don’t provoke your child.
30. Don’t Provoke: 
31. To make angry
32. To exasperate: irritate and frustrate intensely
33. How do we NOT provoke our kids?
34. Encourage them: Urge and Build them up
35. No Verbal, Mental or Physical Violence
36. Have Fun with Them
37. Seek Forgiveness When Wrong
38. BRING THEM UP
39. Help his child grow to spiritual maturity and giftedness
40. YOU bring them up. You invest your time, energy, resources and etc. into your child.
41. DISCIPLINE
42. Firm Guidance and Training
43. This is a process
44. We are to model, teach and encourage Godly patterns of life.
45. Hebrews 12:5–8 (NLT): And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.
46. If we are to be disciplined by God, we must certainly discipline our children.
47. INSTRUCTION:
48. To place before the mind
49. To Warn away from, admonish and discipline that which is inconsistent with Godliness.
50. To confront
51. THAT COMES FROM THE LORD

Reflection and Application Questions:

1. For Children: How can you better demonstrate respect and obedience to your parents in your daily life? What specific actions can you take to improve your relationship with them?
2. As a parent, how can you fulfill the directive to not provoke your children to anger? Can you think of recent instances where you could have acted more patiently or understandingly?
3. Ephesians 6:4 specifically addresses fathers. Why do you think fathers are specifically mentioned? How does this relate to the cultural context of the time, and what implications does it have for today's family dynamics?
4. What are some practical ways you can nurture your child's development in "the discipline and instruction of the Lord"? How can you incorporate these spiritual teachings into everyday life?
5. Reflect on how discipline administered in a godly manner differs from other forms of discipline. How does understanding this difference influence your approach to parenting?
6. What does it mean for children to obey their parents "in the Lord"? How does this add a spiritual dimension to the family dynamic?
7. How can the principles in these verses help in creating a lasting legacy of faith within the family? Discuss how this legacy can impact generations.
8. What are some of the biggest challenges children face in obeying their parents today? How can understanding and communication be improved between parents and children to overcome these challenges?
9. How can you find a balance between disciplining your children and encouraging them? What role does encouragement play in a child's growth and obedience?
10. In what ways can you act as a spiritual mentor to your children or to the children in your community? How can you use your own experiences to guide them in their spiritual journey?

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE READING SCRIPTURE

What does this reveal about God?

What does this reveal about you in relation to God?

What do you need to do about it?