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Dear Friends,
Keeping our Kids from Canaan!
On a recent father /
son retreat I asked the dads to create the “perfect son” and
the sons to create the “perfect father!” Talk about a fun exercise! Do me a favor … take a
second and do that exercise too.
What would your perfect child(ren) look like?
What are the first three or four adjectives that pop into your
mind?
As Christian parents
most of us want our “perfect children” to be strong in their
faith, living lives that demonstrate godliness and biblical
principles. But perfect kids
do not grow that way naturally.
They need to be shaped that way. We are trying to raise them to
live counter culture.
God ordered Moses to
assemble the parents of Israel
before they were about to inhabit the “Promised Land.” The children of Israel
were going to inherit instantaneous wealth and security that the
Canaanites had amassed for decades.
Wealth and security are two conditions that numb hearts from
trusting God. The antidote
rested with the influence of the parents on their children. Moses admonished these moms and
dads to love the Lord with all their hearts, to obey His commandments,
and to impress all of these things on their sons and daughters so they
would not forget God’s great salvation from the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 6 still
packs a punch for parents today.
We are raising kids in the land flowing with milk and honey. Our culture, like the
Canaanite’s, is wealthy, pagan and obsessed with self. Keeping our kids from the
non-Christian influences of our culture is a challenge. Peers, TV producers and
celebrities are all competing to win over their hearts, core values, and
eventually their pocketbooks.
We cannot afford to be passive.
Celebrating Families,
Bruce McCracken
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If you
found this information helpful, we have made other Pebbles of Truth articles
available on our website (www.hotrfm.org).
Each month we feature articles on the topics of: men's issues, marriage,
blended families, parenting, and church ministry to families. You will
also find a great deal more information about House on the Rock
Family Ministries! Thanks for visiting.
Please
feel free to forward this to friends and family … we just ask that
you keep it intact … thanks
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