WEBVTT 00:00:09.449 --> 00:00:14.289 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is 00:00:14.289 --> 00:00:16.589 an international church in Bangkok, Thailand, 00:00:16.769 --> 00:00:19.750 with dozens of nationalities worshipping together. 00:00:20.149 --> 00:00:22.989 We invite you to connect with us from wherever 00:00:22.989 --> 00:00:27.210 you are through our website ecb .asia or our 00:00:27.210 --> 00:00:31.050 mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed 00:00:31.050 --> 00:00:35.270 by this week's sermon. As you know, these past 00:00:35.270 --> 00:00:39.490 weeks we have been doing a study. series of study 00:00:39.490 --> 00:00:43.189 called Spiritual Lessons from Our Walk with God. 00:00:43.429 --> 00:00:46.969 And today we're taking a pause from that series 00:00:46.969 --> 00:00:50.909 so that we can focus on this time of celebrating 00:00:50.909 --> 00:00:53.649 our families and this time of family dedication. 00:00:54.130 --> 00:00:57.289 So it's going to be a reflection on our family 00:00:57.289 --> 00:01:01.109 ministry as people that follow the Lord. But 00:01:01.109 --> 00:01:03.810 before we do that, would you please join me as 00:01:03.810 --> 00:01:11.609 I pray? Lord, it is a gift that you have given 00:01:11.609 --> 00:01:15.549 us today and we rejoice. We are excited. We know 00:01:15.549 --> 00:01:20.829 the calling ahead is a big calling. So we ask 00:01:20.829 --> 00:01:24.129 that as you lead our families, you will strengthen 00:01:24.129 --> 00:01:27.950 us. And today as we study your word, help us 00:01:27.950 --> 00:01:31.329 see, understand, and give me insights. Lord, 00:01:31.430 --> 00:01:34.650 use me in the power of your spirit and in your 00:01:34.650 --> 00:01:40.640 grace. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. In the book 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:43.459 of Psalms, there is a verse that says something 00:01:43.459 --> 00:01:46.120 very concise and very precise. I'm going to ask 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:49.700 you to read it aloud with me because this is 00:01:49.700 --> 00:01:52.859 a foundational concept for those of us who follow 00:01:52.859 --> 00:01:58.099 Jesus. The word of God says, read it together. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:02.680 Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:06.700 reward from him. Even though it's very short 00:02:06.700 --> 00:02:13.360 and precise, this very verse sets Christianity 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:18.840 apart from any other worldview. Because historically, 00:02:19.020 --> 00:02:22.620 it has not been true that all people think of 00:02:22.620 --> 00:02:27.620 children as a gift from God. There was a young 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:32.520 adult from Scotland, Mary Slessor. She felt called 00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:35.080 by God to go and start sharing the gospel with 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:39.460 people in a place called Calabar in Africa. And 00:02:39.460 --> 00:02:43.099 as she arrived to that place, she started noticing 00:02:43.099 --> 00:02:45.860 a very unique practice that they had in that 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:49.419 area. They thought that twin babies were accursed. 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:53.280 So therefore, whenever twin babies were born, 00:02:53.379 --> 00:02:56.280 they were abandoned in the jungle to die or to 00:02:56.280 --> 00:02:59.849 be eaten by animals. As a follower of Jesus, 00:03:00.069 --> 00:03:03.069 she discovered that practice and she immediately 00:03:03.069 --> 00:03:06.830 was moved to start rescuing those children so 00:03:06.830 --> 00:03:09.069 that they would have an opportunity for life. 00:03:09.270 --> 00:03:11.530 Even though she did not go to Calabar with the 00:03:11.530 --> 00:03:15.210 intent of starting a children's home, her Christian 00:03:15.210 --> 00:03:18.349 response in following Jesus, in seeing what was 00:03:18.349 --> 00:03:22.110 happening, gave birth to this children's home 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:25.949 that she started. But it was her influence in 00:03:25.949 --> 00:03:29.979 that area. That eventually turned that practice 00:03:29.979 --> 00:03:34.199 completely out of that culture. And it became 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:37.699 something that was illegal. And it was not just 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:40.280 her as a Christian that experienced that when 00:03:40.280 --> 00:03:42.879 she went to Africa. Christians that were working 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:45.759 among the Greeks discovered something similar. 00:03:47.539 --> 00:03:50.759 There was a time in which any baby that was born 00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:54.659 with any deformation was killed. Because for 00:03:54.659 --> 00:03:59.180 their culture, the shape, the look was very important. 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:03.439 So any deformed baby was considered unfit to 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:06.259 live. And therefore he was killed. And it was 00:04:06.259 --> 00:04:09.099 Christians who started rescuing some of these 00:04:09.099 --> 00:04:12.680 children and starting again children's homes. 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:14.620 Even though that was not the intent from the 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:18.959 beginning. And as you go back in the scriptures, 00:04:19.300 --> 00:04:23.180 you realize that this practice. of discarding 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:26.220 children or seeing them as defective or seeing 00:04:26.220 --> 00:04:28.839 them as something that needed to be removed from 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:32.259 society. It was something that was found in the 00:04:32.259 --> 00:04:36.100 Mesopotamian cultures. In the land of Canaan, 00:04:36.199 --> 00:04:40.740 there was the practice of children's sacrifice. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:43.779 And God tells the nation of Israel in the Old 00:04:43.779 --> 00:04:46.939 Testament, you will not sacrifice your children 00:04:46.939 --> 00:04:53.180 to the fire, to Molech. And sadly, Israel ended 00:04:53.180 --> 00:04:55.259 up doing the same practices that the nations 00:04:55.259 --> 00:05:01.420 around them were doing. When we read an ancient 00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:05.420 text written thousands of years ago from God 00:05:05.420 --> 00:05:08.680 saying children are a gift from the Lord, they 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:12.620 are a reward from him, it's completely revolutionary. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:19.279 And therefore, as followers of Jesus, we believe 00:05:20.110 --> 00:05:23.589 That children, no matter how they were conceived, 00:05:23.930 --> 00:05:26.149 what were their circumstances of their birth, 00:05:26.290 --> 00:05:30.269 who are the parents, what are the physical health 00:05:30.269 --> 00:05:33.189 or lack of health, what are the levels of skills 00:05:33.189 --> 00:05:38.610 or lack of skills, no matter what are all of 00:05:38.610 --> 00:05:40.750 these different factors that separate one child 00:05:40.750 --> 00:05:45.089 from another, all children are created in God's 00:05:45.089 --> 00:05:49.920 image. And therefore, They deserve not only to 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:53.839 live, but to grow and to become people that know 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:58.620 about God and his love. This is a core conviction 00:05:58.620 --> 00:06:04.439 for us as followers of Jesus. God is the giver 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:08.800 of life, and that's why life for us is something 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.259 that is not only sacred, but it's something that 00:06:11.259 --> 00:06:14.480 we celebrate, as you have been able to see today. 00:06:16.589 --> 00:06:19.670 That is why in the Old Testament when God starts 00:06:19.670 --> 00:06:23.149 the nation of Israel and he starts giving them 00:06:23.149 --> 00:06:25.930 a legal code for the nation so that they can 00:06:25.930 --> 00:06:28.129 be different from the other nations around them, 00:06:28.290 --> 00:06:32.889 he is going to touch on the two pillars that 00:06:32.889 --> 00:06:35.750 he wants them to have in order to have healthy 00:06:35.750 --> 00:06:39.910 families because the family unit was the... core 00:06:39.910 --> 00:06:42.769 foundation of the entire nation. And if that 00:06:42.769 --> 00:06:45.350 unit became unhealthy, then the nation would 00:06:45.350 --> 00:06:49.610 become unhealthy. And so it did. These two pillars 00:06:49.610 --> 00:06:53.509 were not respected. They became completely ignored. 00:06:53.889 --> 00:07:00.290 And then the nation was destroyed and eventually 00:07:00.290 --> 00:07:04.329 was restored. But what is interesting is that 00:07:04.329 --> 00:07:09.480 early in the history of the nation, they received 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:11.980 the law at the beginning from Moses, all the 00:07:11.980 --> 00:07:16.720 generation that left from Egypt, then they die 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:18.860 in the desert because of their disobedience to 00:07:18.860 --> 00:07:21.180 God. And a new generation was born throughout 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:24.639 those 40 years. And as they prepare to enter 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:30.120 the land of Canaan, there is a book that is written 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:33.720 during that time. to train this new generation 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:36.379 before they enter the land of Canaan. Do you 00:07:36.379 --> 00:07:40.379 know what that book is? It's called Deuteronomy. 00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:44.959 It's the last of the five books of Moses. It's 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:49.319 called the second law because it was a form of 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:51.860 repetition of what had been given before, but 00:07:51.860 --> 00:07:54.759 in order to train this new generation so that 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:59.339 they were able to really do it right and build 00:07:59.339 --> 00:08:03.600 it properly. And it's in there that we find the 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:05.360 pillars that we're going to be studying today. 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:09.399 But before we enter into reading this, I just 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:12.459 have to tell you that my own journey in parenting 00:08:12.459 --> 00:08:16.439 is something that God has brought me through. 00:08:16.740 --> 00:08:19.420 And I'll show you a couple of pictures in a moment. 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:23.540 But in this journey of following the Lord as 00:08:23.540 --> 00:08:27.800 a parent, I'm reading what we're about to read 00:08:27.800 --> 00:08:31.250 in Deuteronomy. what you realize is that God's 00:08:31.250 --> 00:08:34.830 desire for the family is to be a place of health 00:08:34.830 --> 00:08:38.870 that is going to impact not only the life of 00:08:38.870 --> 00:08:43.610 that family, but the generations after. And that's 00:08:43.610 --> 00:08:45.769 why the pillars that he's going to give them 00:08:45.769 --> 00:08:48.330 are going to be so important because they have 00:08:48.330 --> 00:08:52.950 repercussions for generations to come. And if 00:08:52.950 --> 00:08:56.090 I am going to be a follower of Jesus that wants 00:08:56.090 --> 00:08:59.629 to have that... in generation after generation, 00:08:59.990 --> 00:09:03.850 I need to pay attention to those pillars. Because 00:09:03.850 --> 00:09:08.610 the sad truth is that families in general are 00:09:08.610 --> 00:09:12.370 in crisis. And so was in the time of the nation 00:09:12.370 --> 00:09:16.429 of Israel. The generation that read this Deuteronomy 00:09:16.429 --> 00:09:19.370 at the beginning was a generation that eventually 00:09:19.370 --> 00:09:28.159 failed to fulfill these things. I was 29 years 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:33.340 old when I became a father, and I have this picture 00:09:33.340 --> 00:09:37.620 to prove it. My wife Sarah is there with me, 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:45.039 and that is Alex. One of the things that we discovered 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:49.460 once you have a baby for the first time is that 00:09:49.460 --> 00:09:53.700 babies come with no manual, and also with no 00:09:53.700 --> 00:09:58.500 return receipt. So once you're in it, you're 00:09:58.500 --> 00:10:03.639 in it. And it's a new season of life. Later, 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:07.379 as the Lord blessed us with more children, all 00:10:07.379 --> 00:10:13.639 of our kids were made and born in Texas. So we 00:10:13.639 --> 00:10:17.179 had our children at Baylor Hospital. And for 00:10:17.179 --> 00:10:20.659 the last two, which is Max and Lucy, they would 00:10:20.659 --> 00:10:25.720 give us this. You see that? Yeah, so I will wear 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:28.019 that in the hospital and then they will do the 00:10:28.019 --> 00:10:31.019 little footprints. And these are Lucy's footprints. 00:10:31.220 --> 00:10:33.899 Where is Lucy? There. That's how little your 00:10:33.899 --> 00:10:36.980 feet wear. And I know this is yours because the 00:10:36.980 --> 00:10:41.059 other one has bigger, you know, feet. That's 00:10:41.059 --> 00:10:46.299 Max. But we have these beautiful memories of 00:10:46.299 --> 00:10:50.799 those years. And God blessed us with... Not only 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:54.200 Mac, Alex, then with Sophia, then with Max, and 00:10:54.200 --> 00:10:59.460 then with Lucy. And as you may know, Sophia went 00:10:59.460 --> 00:11:02.500 to be with the Lord. And now you fast forward 00:11:02.500 --> 00:11:07.139 and our kids are older. Alex is 22. He's in college 00:11:07.139 --> 00:11:09.899 in the U .S. And then Max and Lucy are with us. 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:16.879 And all this journey of parenting is an ongoing 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.370 journey of learning. And learning and learning. 00:11:20.629 --> 00:11:23.230 And there's so much that can be said about these 00:11:23.230 --> 00:11:29.470 things. But I really want us to understand. What 00:11:29.470 --> 00:11:34.090 the Lord says about these two pillars. And to 00:11:34.090 --> 00:11:37.370 start we will look at the section of Deuteronomy. 00:11:37.549 --> 00:11:41.210 Right there on chapter 5 and then chapter 11. 00:11:41.750 --> 00:11:44.669 The first thing that God says to the nation. 00:11:47.129 --> 00:11:50.250 your father and your mother, as the Lord your 00:11:50.250 --> 00:11:54.590 God commanded you. Then you will live a long, 00:11:54.669 --> 00:11:57.129 full life in the land the Lord your God has given 00:11:57.129 --> 00:12:00.629 you. God is not addressing the children first. 00:12:00.669 --> 00:12:02.669 He's addressing the, I mean, not addressing the 00:12:02.669 --> 00:12:04.549 parents first, but addressing the children first. 00:12:05.070 --> 00:12:09.789 And he's telling the children of all ages, you 00:12:09.789 --> 00:12:12.610 have a father and you have a mother. And your 00:12:12.610 --> 00:12:17.009 responsibility is to honor them. And to honor 00:12:17.009 --> 00:12:19.870 means that you need to treat them with the proper 00:12:19.870 --> 00:12:24.789 respect because they are your parents. Without 00:12:24.789 --> 00:12:29.590 them, you will not be alive. So you have to be 00:12:29.590 --> 00:12:33.029 grateful that you are alive and that you have 00:12:33.029 --> 00:12:35.950 parents that gave you life. And the only proper 00:12:35.950 --> 00:12:43.190 way of treating them is with honor. If you honor 00:12:43.190 --> 00:12:48.740 your father and your mother, Then, that's a foundation 00:12:48.740 --> 00:12:52.259 for your life. You will live a long, full life 00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:54.500 in the land the Lord your God has given you. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:13:01.620 And then, he addresses also the parents. And 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:05.039 to the parents, he says, so commit yourselves 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:11.250 wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them 00:13:11.250 --> 00:13:14.309 to your hands, wear them on your foreheads as 00:13:14.309 --> 00:13:20.350 reminders. Make sure that you know my word, that 00:13:20.350 --> 00:13:23.250 that is in you, that you know it, that that is 00:13:23.250 --> 00:13:26.809 permeating your life because you have a job to 00:13:26.809 --> 00:13:33.769 do. Teach them to your children. When? When you 00:13:33.769 --> 00:13:39.909 go to church on Sundays. No. It says, Teach these 00:13:39.909 --> 00:13:44.250 words to your children. Talk about them when 00:13:44.250 --> 00:13:47.309 you are at home. And talk about them when you 00:13:47.309 --> 00:13:49.950 are on the road. And talk about them when you 00:13:49.950 --> 00:13:52.549 are going to bed. And talk about them when you 00:13:52.549 --> 00:13:57.009 are getting up. Write them on the door posts 00:13:57.009 --> 00:14:01.409 of your house. And on your gates. So that as 00:14:01.409 --> 00:14:04.929 long as the sky remains above the earth. You 00:14:04.929 --> 00:14:09.870 and your children. May flourish in the land the 00:14:09.870 --> 00:14:13.889 Lord sought to give your ancestors. Once again. 00:14:14.509 --> 00:14:18.049 He's giving this pillar. Because he says. If 00:14:18.049 --> 00:14:21.769 you have this pillar. It's going to support your 00:14:21.769 --> 00:14:26.110 family. Your nation. Your society. In order to 00:14:26.110 --> 00:14:29.870 have stability. And you will be able to flourish. 00:14:30.309 --> 00:14:33.769 Not just you. But the generations after you. 00:14:34.690 --> 00:14:40.299 God was interested. And a multi -generational 00:14:40.299 --> 00:14:44.340 consistent impact in which one generation is 00:14:44.340 --> 00:14:46.320 building on the other, building on the other, 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:53.159 because they have the two pillars. Honor being 00:14:53.159 --> 00:14:58.379 the first one of them. One of the mistakes that 00:14:58.379 --> 00:15:05.110 many people make is to believe that honor is 00:15:05.110 --> 00:15:10.809 based on performance. Because that is how we 00:15:10.809 --> 00:15:15.629 honor pretty much anybody else. You do a good 00:15:15.629 --> 00:15:18.629 job, you get a good position, then you are treated 00:15:18.629 --> 00:15:23.429 with respect because you earned it. So we only 00:15:23.429 --> 00:15:26.929 honor our parents, this person thinks, if they 00:15:26.929 --> 00:15:30.659 are good parents. if they are not good parents, 00:15:30.820 --> 00:15:33.679 then they do not deserve that I treat them with 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:39.500 respect because they did not earn it. Even though 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:43.220 that way of thinking may make sense, that is 00:15:43.220 --> 00:15:50.080 not what God desires nor what God designed. From 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:53.799 God's perspective, the responsibility of the 00:15:53.799 --> 00:15:59.419 child to honor the parents Is regardless of performance. 00:16:00.220 --> 00:16:04.820 And is based on position. It is because it is 00:16:04.820 --> 00:16:10.299 my parent. That I need to respect them. I do 00:16:10.299 --> 00:16:14.200 not need to agree with them. I do not need to 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:17.240 endorse what they are saying or doing. But I 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:21.220 need to respect them. Treat them with honor. 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:28.899 And I understand. That for some of you, as you 00:16:28.899 --> 00:16:31.200 hear this immediately, it makes you uncomfortable. 00:16:31.720 --> 00:16:33.919 You want to make an appointment with me to tell 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:36.179 me, yeah, how about my case? What would you do 00:16:36.179 --> 00:16:40.240 in my case? I'm not here to analyze your case. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:46.100 Because that's not my role. But I'm here to tell 00:16:46.100 --> 00:16:52.639 you that to honor your parents is God's desire 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:57.600 for your life. And I understand that it's very 00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:59.440 easy to honor your parents when they are good 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:03.519 parents. And it's very hard to do when they are 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:10.160 not. Jamie had that experience. Her father was 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.539 a terrible father. The only thing she wanted 00:17:12.539 --> 00:17:15.059 to do was to become old enough so that she could 00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:20.500 leave the home. So she did. She just didn't have 00:17:20.500 --> 00:17:23.619 to do anything with her parents. The only thing 00:17:23.619 --> 00:17:26.940 is that You may dislike your friends and stop 00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:29.660 being friends. But you dislike your parents, 00:17:29.799 --> 00:17:31.839 they're always your parents. And you're always 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:37.680 their child. That doesn't change. So for Jamie, 00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:41.059 as she started just walking away from her parents 00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:44.799 and trying to keep that distant, eventually she 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.619 became a Christian. And she understood that there 00:17:48.619 --> 00:17:52.150 was health. In setting boundaries with her family. 00:17:52.609 --> 00:17:55.569 Because it was toxic. It was a toxic relationship. 00:17:56.230 --> 00:17:58.769 So she needed to set certain boundaries in order 00:17:58.769 --> 00:18:01.710 to know how to relate, when not to relate. But 00:18:01.710 --> 00:18:05.049 to honor her parents was definitely out of the 00:18:05.049 --> 00:18:10.869 question. Then she got married. And as her family 00:18:10.869 --> 00:18:14.549 now was following the Lord. something started 00:18:14.549 --> 00:18:18.849 happening. Dad became older and he became sicker 00:18:18.849 --> 00:18:24.890 and he needed someone to take care of him. And 00:18:24.890 --> 00:18:27.250 that was the last thing that Jamie wanted to 00:18:27.250 --> 00:18:31.710 do because he did not deserve a minute of it. 00:18:34.109 --> 00:18:37.329 But as they started following the Lord and God 00:18:37.329 --> 00:18:40.470 started working in their heart as a family, they 00:18:40.470 --> 00:18:44.339 started feeling convicted. Not just convicted, 00:18:44.380 --> 00:18:49.220 but compelled. That the reason why she needed 00:18:49.220 --> 00:18:52.819 to open her home and start taking care of her 00:18:52.819 --> 00:18:56.000 father, even though he didn't deserve it according 00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:59.720 to how he performed as a father, it was because 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:03.059 precisely he didn't deserve it. And therefore, 00:19:03.220 --> 00:19:06.960 by treating him with respect at that old age, 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:10.480 she was going to be a channel of God's grace. 00:19:12.170 --> 00:19:15.089 She was going to not be just a recipient of God's 00:19:15.089 --> 00:19:18.170 grace, but now in taking care of this father 00:19:18.170 --> 00:19:20.569 that didn't deserve any of this according to 00:19:20.569 --> 00:19:25.990 his performance. So she did. And it was hard 00:19:25.990 --> 00:19:28.869 at the beginning. But because this was something 00:19:28.869 --> 00:19:32.130 that was done out of a love for God, and out 00:19:32.130 --> 00:19:34.630 of an understanding of this calling as a child, 00:19:35.170 --> 00:19:37.609 that she started embracing him more and more 00:19:37.609 --> 00:19:40.849 with her husband. And as they reflect later after 00:19:40.849 --> 00:19:43.650 the father passed away, those years were the 00:19:43.650 --> 00:19:49.089 hardest, but were the best time of her relationship 00:19:49.089 --> 00:19:55.089 with her father. And things changed. The first 00:19:55.089 --> 00:19:59.970 thing that changed was her heart. Could it be 00:19:59.970 --> 00:20:04.569 that God is asking you to honor your parents 00:20:04.569 --> 00:20:06.529 even though it's a hard thing to do because in 00:20:06.529 --> 00:20:09.529 it, You are going to experience a whole different 00:20:09.529 --> 00:20:18.130 level of what grace of God is. And once you are 00:20:18.130 --> 00:20:22.789 younger, if you are a teenager here, I would 00:20:22.789 --> 00:20:26.809 like to remind you of something. If you are a 00:20:26.809 --> 00:20:33.269 follower of Jesus, that parent needs to hear 00:20:33.269 --> 00:20:41.240 from you honor. Respect. Because in honoring 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:43.700 your father, honoring your mother, you are honoring 00:20:43.700 --> 00:20:47.779 God. So I know that when we are teenagers, we 00:20:47.779 --> 00:20:51.359 think we know better and we can get an answer 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:55.920 for everything. We can get also a little bit 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:59.700 moody or we don't always speak with respect. 00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:04.339 You can do that if you desire. But that is not 00:21:04.339 --> 00:21:10.359 honoring God. So following Jesus means that the 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:14.559 calling as a child in honoring our parents at 00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:18.599 all ages is part of what it means to honor God. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:23.500 But then the second part of this calling, the 00:21:23.500 --> 00:21:28.160 second pillar was to the parents. For the parents 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:32.299 was a call to model God's love and God's grace 00:21:32.299 --> 00:21:37.039 to the children. They needed to know God, his 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:41.539 word. And in knowing his word and living it, 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:45.380 they were going to show the children God's love 00:21:45.380 --> 00:21:49.380 and what it means to be loved by God. So that 00:21:49.380 --> 00:21:53.680 that child can start growing into an adult that 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:56.839 will know God and that will love God and that 00:21:56.839 --> 00:22:03.750 will serve God as a result. And that's why. The 00:22:03.750 --> 00:22:06.730 command to, you need to talk about me, you know. 00:22:06.970 --> 00:22:09.329 You're at home, talk about me. You're getting 00:22:09.329 --> 00:22:11.670 ready for bed, talk about me. When you're getting 00:22:11.670 --> 00:22:14.910 up, talk about me. You're on the road, talk about 00:22:14.910 --> 00:22:18.349 me. Talk about me all the time. Because I need 00:22:18.349 --> 00:22:21.710 to make sure that those children are going to 00:22:21.710 --> 00:22:24.789 really understand who I am and who they are. 00:22:27.269 --> 00:22:31.250 But in this journey of parenting, there are common 00:22:31.250 --> 00:22:35.059 mistakes that we make. that keep us from fulfilling 00:22:35.059 --> 00:22:38.960 that role well. And I've seen it both in my life 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:41.839 and in the life of other people. One of those 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:45.460 is a common mistake that people make. They try 00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:50.599 to parent from a neutral perspective. Sometimes 00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:53.359 you hear children say, yeah, my parents didn't 00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:55.859 teach me much about God or anything because they 00:22:55.859 --> 00:23:00.390 wanted me to develop my own convictions. And 00:23:00.390 --> 00:23:03.789 that parent is thinking, yeah, I'm not going 00:23:03.789 --> 00:23:05.930 to be the one talking to you about God all the 00:23:05.930 --> 00:23:08.930 time because I'm going to let you figure that 00:23:08.930 --> 00:23:16.250 out. That may sound right, but it is a mistake. 00:23:16.670 --> 00:23:19.369 Because if I am not the primary voice that is 00:23:19.369 --> 00:23:23.089 influencing their convictions with truth, someone 00:23:23.089 --> 00:23:26.069 else is going to start influencing their convictions. 00:23:27.130 --> 00:23:30.769 With not truth. With something else. And there 00:23:30.769 --> 00:23:34.450 is plenty of people. And groups of people. That 00:23:34.450 --> 00:23:37.789 have the desire. To take that role of influence. 00:23:37.910 --> 00:23:42.970 Of the life of your child. I cannot. Fulfill 00:23:42.970 --> 00:23:46.809 this calling. From a place of neutrality. I have 00:23:46.809 --> 00:23:50.769 to be engaged. First in knowing the word. Walking 00:23:50.769 --> 00:23:53.349 with God. So that the love of God can flow through 00:23:53.349 --> 00:23:56.720 me. Into their lives. And we talk about it. And 00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:58.880 we share the convictions. And we shape their 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:01.559 hearts. And we shape their minds. Because that 00:24:01.559 --> 00:24:07.960 is what God said. The other mistake is the mistake 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:13.579 of thinking of the child as a burden. Do you 00:24:13.579 --> 00:24:15.420 remember when you found out you were pregnant? 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:24.000 How did it feel? Was it a joy? Or was it like, 00:24:24.140 --> 00:24:29.880 oh no. What am I going to do now with my career? 00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:37.380 You see, because we live in a career -oriented 00:24:37.380 --> 00:24:46.200 society, it can easily be felt and it can easily 00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:48.799 be communicated to the child that the child is 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:52.960 a burden. You are not an obstacle to my career 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:59.269 goals. And that is a mistake. And I want to tell 00:24:59.269 --> 00:25:05.470 you why. Career is all good. But your career 00:25:05.470 --> 00:25:09.829 is not eternal. Hopefully it will end when you 00:25:09.829 --> 00:25:13.089 retire. Or you get fired before that. I don't 00:25:13.089 --> 00:25:16.069 know what's going to happen first. But your career 00:25:16.069 --> 00:25:27.180 is not eternal. Your child? Oh. Your child. Has 00:25:27.180 --> 00:25:33.420 a soul. Your child is a spiritual being. Created 00:25:33.420 --> 00:25:36.920 in God's image and his likeness. And even after 00:25:36.920 --> 00:25:43.920 death. That life will continue. And one day. 00:25:44.420 --> 00:25:47.420 The word of God says that at the end of times. 00:25:47.539 --> 00:25:49.839 When the final judgment comes. And we're going 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:54.359 to stand before God. We who are followers of 00:25:54.359 --> 00:25:57.900 Jesus will experience the resurrection. We will 00:25:57.900 --> 00:26:02.799 reign with Christ. We will serve God forever 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:08.599 and ever. The fact that this child needs to know 00:26:08.599 --> 00:26:14.059 God has eternal implications. And that's why 00:26:14.059 --> 00:26:20.930 this child is a gift of God. And everything I'm 00:26:20.930 --> 00:26:24.029 investing in them, I know I may not see it today, 00:26:24.250 --> 00:26:26.730 but I know that it's going to have eternal impact 00:26:26.730 --> 00:26:35.230 beyond my lifetime. So no, my children are not 00:26:35.230 --> 00:26:43.730 a burden. They're a gift of God. The other mistake 00:26:43.730 --> 00:26:47.210 is the thinking that my child is my property. 00:26:47.589 --> 00:26:52.210 Look. I conceive you. I give birth to you. I 00:26:52.210 --> 00:26:54.569 am paying for your bills. I am paying for your 00:26:54.569 --> 00:26:57.589 education. I am providing the home for you. Whatever 00:26:57.589 --> 00:26:59.390 it may be. By the way, I didn't give birth to 00:26:59.390 --> 00:27:06.410 them. My wife did. Just to be clear. And they 00:27:06.410 --> 00:27:09.670 start controlling that child as if they owned 00:27:09.670 --> 00:27:13.410 that person. And they are so controlling that 00:27:13.410 --> 00:27:16.049 that poor child lives in a suffocating environment. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:20.859 They treat the child like the pet. The pet I 00:27:20.859 --> 00:27:23.480 own, I'm the master. And they think that they 00:27:23.480 --> 00:27:28.160 are the master of the child. You're not the master 00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:31.420 of your child. You are the parent of your child. 00:27:31.799 --> 00:27:38.099 The only Lord of that child is God. And therefore, 00:27:38.259 --> 00:27:41.900 when we start treating the child as property 00:27:41.900 --> 00:27:44.440 and we think that we are the Lord over the life 00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:48.630 of that child, what is going to be clogged is 00:27:48.630 --> 00:27:51.769 that being a channel of God's grace, communicating 00:27:51.769 --> 00:27:54.890 God's love to that child is not going to be communicated. 00:27:56.369 --> 00:27:59.230 Because you're not acting like a parent, you're 00:27:59.230 --> 00:28:03.170 acting like a boss. And there's a difference. 00:28:05.349 --> 00:28:07.849 And the other common mistake that I've experienced 00:28:07.849 --> 00:28:12.210 and I've seen is to turn your child into a project. 00:28:13.349 --> 00:28:18.670 What do I mean by that? Listen, we all have good 00:28:18.670 --> 00:28:23.650 desires for our kids. We want them to grow to 00:28:23.650 --> 00:28:27.430 be stable people with good education, a good 00:28:27.430 --> 00:28:29.890 career so they can have financial stability and 00:28:29.890 --> 00:28:33.809 prosper. We want them to have a good life. We 00:28:33.809 --> 00:28:36.349 don't want them to make poor decisions. We want 00:28:36.349 --> 00:28:39.970 them to be protected from harm. We have good 00:28:39.970 --> 00:28:43.369 intentions for that. Anything wrong with it? 00:28:44.369 --> 00:28:49.349 No, right? That's great. But what starts happening 00:28:49.349 --> 00:28:54.230 inadvertently is that because we have a picture 00:28:54.230 --> 00:28:58.910 of what that future should be, we start making 00:28:58.910 --> 00:29:04.509 this child think and feel like they are not good 00:29:04.509 --> 00:29:08.140 enough. We're constantly pushing them. You have 00:29:08.140 --> 00:29:10.339 to get better grades. You have to do better. 00:29:10.519 --> 00:29:12.380 You have to go to this school. If you don't go 00:29:12.380 --> 00:29:14.180 to this school, you're not going to have a future. 00:29:14.299 --> 00:29:16.940 And it keeps going on and on and on. And the 00:29:16.940 --> 00:29:20.539 child feels like it's a project and never good 00:29:20.539 --> 00:29:25.619 enough. Especially when they didn't get to the 00:29:25.619 --> 00:29:30.359 school that I wanted for them. Then I'm disappointed 00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:33.460 on your performance. And I want to let you know. 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:38.119 And you did not choose the career I thought you 00:29:38.119 --> 00:29:41.339 should. And now look, you're not making as much 00:29:41.339 --> 00:29:43.500 money as you would have if you would have listened. 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:49.720 So I am very disappointed on you. And that child 00:29:49.720 --> 00:29:52.240 is not a kid anymore. He's in his 40s and his 00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:57.400 50s. And still feeling I'm not good enough. Why? 00:29:58.180 --> 00:30:01.859 Because that child was always treated as a project. 00:30:05.930 --> 00:30:09.769 Children are not a project. And my vision for 00:30:09.769 --> 00:30:14.390 their lives is not the goal. God's vision for 00:30:14.390 --> 00:30:21.309 their life is. And my job is to ensure that they 00:30:21.309 --> 00:30:24.849 know God, that they encounter His love, that 00:30:24.849 --> 00:30:27.369 they understand that God created them, that He 00:30:27.369 --> 00:30:30.059 is going to lead them, even in their... Poor 00:30:30.059 --> 00:30:34.240 decisions, even in decisions that bring harm, 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:39.740 God has the power to redeem their stories. And 00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:43.660 therefore, it is the pursuit of God's vision 00:30:43.660 --> 00:30:47.380 for them that we need to encourage them to pursue. 00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:51.960 And if that vision matches mine, great. If it's 00:30:51.960 --> 00:30:55.440 better than mine, great. If it doesn't meet my 00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:59.880 expectations, great. Because what I desire more 00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:03.700 is that those children live for God rather than 00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:09.839 live to please me, a mere mortal. These four 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:15.660 common mistakes are going to harm the relationships 00:31:15.660 --> 00:31:18.420 with our children. They're going to harm the 00:31:18.420 --> 00:31:22.759 dynamics of the home. And just as a child can 00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:26.529 have... Parents that are toxic, our way of parenting 00:31:26.529 --> 00:31:29.569 can become toxic and create an environment in 00:31:29.569 --> 00:31:34.849 our families that is not godly. Because the reality 00:31:34.849 --> 00:31:39.869 is, is that God is not the center. I am. My plans. 00:31:40.890 --> 00:31:47.789 My vision. Instead of falling for these mistakes, 00:31:47.930 --> 00:31:53.180 for these traps, What God wants the people to 00:31:53.180 --> 00:31:56.019 understand is that you are going to model good 00:31:56.019 --> 00:32:00.039 parenting to the children if you give them God's 00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:03.940 worldview. First is that that child is a gift. 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:08.279 So you need to let them know that they're a gift 00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:11.619 from God, and we will speak that all the time. 00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:17.059 They need to hear that they are loved, that it 00:32:17.059 --> 00:32:21.299 is a blessing to have them, even. If at moments 00:32:21.299 --> 00:32:24.799 it's inconvenient because now it costs you more, 00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:27.500 now you have to change plants, et cetera, et 00:32:27.500 --> 00:32:31.099 cetera. That does not change the fact that they're 00:32:31.099 --> 00:32:35.759 a gift from God. And not only that, but they 00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:39.720 are also loved by God and therefore loved by 00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:45.509 me. And those children, As they start experiencing 00:32:45.509 --> 00:32:48.450 God's love, we'll start understanding that the 00:32:48.450 --> 00:32:51.609 way to respond to that love is by loving God 00:32:51.609 --> 00:33:00.829 back. I remember that space of growing as a father, 00:33:00.890 --> 00:33:03.069 you know, with the young children with good desires 00:33:03.069 --> 00:33:06.970 for their success. And it soon starts sounding 00:33:06.970 --> 00:33:11.329 like this. You know, you need to be diligent 00:33:11.329 --> 00:33:14.289 because if you're not, Learn to be diligent. 00:33:14.849 --> 00:33:17.289 You know, people will want to hire you. And if 00:33:17.289 --> 00:33:19.450 you don't keep a job, how are you going to provide 00:33:19.450 --> 00:33:23.970 for your family? Does it sound familiar? And 00:33:23.970 --> 00:33:25.970 the poor kid, you know, you are changing his 00:33:25.970 --> 00:33:31.589 diapers. It's like the kid is still growing up, 00:33:31.650 --> 00:33:35.109 you know. But in those moments, we really want 00:33:35.109 --> 00:33:37.069 them to grow, to be diligent and responsible. 00:33:37.509 --> 00:33:40.119 And when we see that, they're not doing it. It's 00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:41.960 like, nyeh, nyeh, nyeh, nyeh, nyeh, nyeh, and 00:33:41.960 --> 00:33:46.299 we start, right? And we swear we're doing a great 00:33:46.299 --> 00:33:50.779 job. We're telling them the truth. But when I 00:33:50.779 --> 00:33:56.079 heard myself speaking like that one time, I spoke 00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:58.140 like that many times, but when I heard myself 00:33:58.140 --> 00:34:02.920 that time, I realized, wait, that's not right. 00:34:04.809 --> 00:34:07.609 I don't, that's not the motivation I want. Be 00:34:07.609 --> 00:34:09.949 diligent so you can have a job so no one will 00:34:09.949 --> 00:34:16.869 fire you. That's not God's worldview. And that's 00:34:16.869 --> 00:34:23.869 when I realized it was all wrong. God says that 00:34:23.869 --> 00:34:30.170 everything we do, we do for him. And you need 00:34:30.170 --> 00:34:33.349 to learn to be diligent and do these things for 00:34:33.349 --> 00:34:36.329 the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 00:34:36.389 --> 00:34:39.190 So when are you going to learn to do things for 00:34:39.190 --> 00:34:42.190 God? Now or when you're an adult? Well, now. 00:34:43.429 --> 00:34:46.670 That's why we do these things with excellence 00:34:46.670 --> 00:34:49.150 and dedication because we're doing them for the 00:34:49.150 --> 00:34:56.369 Lord. When the child understands that they are 00:34:56.369 --> 00:35:01.449 loved by God, And that is the whole thing that 00:35:01.449 --> 00:35:04.090 frames everything. Suddenly the message, the 00:35:04.090 --> 00:35:08.909 tone starts changing. And it's something that 00:35:08.909 --> 00:35:12.030 we have to learn because our natural desire is 00:35:12.030 --> 00:35:15.329 to be much more preachy. And we have to struggle 00:35:15.329 --> 00:35:20.889 with that. But also they want to understand that 00:35:20.889 --> 00:35:24.329 they are not a project that if I'm disappointed 00:35:24.329 --> 00:35:28.909 with, I'll abandon and walk away from. They are 00:35:28.909 --> 00:35:31.269 a gift from God, loved by God, and therefore 00:35:31.269 --> 00:35:36.690 loved by me. And I will walk with them until 00:35:36.690 --> 00:35:41.570 my last breath. Because I'm not here to ensure 00:35:41.570 --> 00:35:45.710 that my vision is fulfilled. I'm just here to 00:35:45.710 --> 00:35:49.449 provide the support that is needed for them to 00:35:49.449 --> 00:35:56.170 fulfill God's vision for their lives. And that, 00:35:57.420 --> 00:36:01.719 Changes many things. Because you are present, 00:36:01.900 --> 00:36:05.780 even in the pain, even when you are hurt by decisions, 00:36:06.039 --> 00:36:10.500 you know that your call is to be present because 00:36:10.500 --> 00:36:13.079 your call is to be a channel of God's grace into 00:36:13.079 --> 00:36:18.719 that life. And that flows and recharges you and 00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:25.539 it flows and it moves in that direction. Parenting. 00:36:27.240 --> 00:36:30.980 It's a journey that God has called us to pursue. 00:36:31.800 --> 00:36:35.199 And he told us what we need to do about it. And 00:36:35.199 --> 00:36:37.039 it's something that will continue to grow as 00:36:37.039 --> 00:36:41.519 we move forward. But at every stage, as the kids 00:36:41.519 --> 00:36:44.320 grow older and older and older, the calling remains 00:36:44.320 --> 00:36:48.880 the same. Are you modeling God's love and his 00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:58.849 grace to that child? So I wonder, is there anything 00:36:58.849 --> 00:37:02.409 that is holding you back or is clogging you from 00:37:02.409 --> 00:37:05.590 communicating God's love and grace to the child 00:37:05.590 --> 00:37:10.530 that God entrusted you with? And if you realize 00:37:10.530 --> 00:37:12.769 that you have turned your child into a project, 00:37:12.849 --> 00:37:18.409 could it be that today is a time to ask God, 00:37:18.429 --> 00:37:24.639 God, would you help me reframe? I want... To 00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:27.420 make sure, Lord, that my children come to know 00:37:27.420 --> 00:37:29.480 you and love you and serve you. That's what I 00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:35.840 desire the most. This is the time for us to reframe. 00:37:35.940 --> 00:37:39.239 Because if those two pillars are not there, it's 00:37:39.239 --> 00:37:42.739 time we build them. Because God's desire for 00:37:42.739 --> 00:37:47.460 us is that we build these pillars into our homes 00:37:47.460 --> 00:37:51.119 so that the generation after and after and after 00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:57.280 will continue to be impacted by it. I would like 00:37:57.280 --> 00:38:04.360 to conclude this study by giving you just a recommendation 00:38:04.360 --> 00:38:13.059 on some resources. One of them is from a lady, 00:38:13.099 --> 00:38:18.300 her name is Karen Purvis. She is with the Lord 00:38:18.300 --> 00:38:22.869 now. She died a few years ago. But she was the 00:38:22.869 --> 00:38:26.610 director of the Institute of Child Development 00:38:26.610 --> 00:38:31.030 at TCU in Texas. And she was one of a kind. Her 00:38:31.030 --> 00:38:34.530 research, what they were able to develop, was 00:38:34.530 --> 00:38:37.469 very helpful and influential. And I know that 00:38:37.469 --> 00:38:40.150 not many people know about this. That's why I 00:38:40.150 --> 00:38:45.150 want to share this with you. Karen Purvis specialized 00:38:45.150 --> 00:38:49.190 on understanding the development of the child. 00:38:49.980 --> 00:38:54.239 the brain development, and the impact in relationships 00:38:54.239 --> 00:38:58.519 with parents. And because of that understanding, 00:38:59.019 --> 00:39:03.320 she developed this program called Empower to 00:39:03.320 --> 00:39:06.860 Connect, and then a more formal program called 00:39:06.860 --> 00:39:12.139 TBRI. This is something that is going to give 00:39:12.139 --> 00:39:16.179 you understanding of how to improve the emotional 00:39:16.179 --> 00:39:20.219 connection with the children. And even though 00:39:20.219 --> 00:39:25.260 it was designed for families that are under the 00:39:25.260 --> 00:39:28.280 stress of having adopted children that come from 00:39:28.280 --> 00:39:31.420 hard places, the principles that were discovered 00:39:31.420 --> 00:39:37.539 were universal. Empower to connect, TBRI. You 00:39:37.539 --> 00:39:39.699 can listen to the podcast, you can go to YouTube, 00:39:39.780 --> 00:39:43.059 find their videos, good stuff. So if you're in 00:39:43.059 --> 00:39:45.059 a place where you say, Pastor Paulo, I need all 00:39:45.059 --> 00:39:46.820 the help I can get from my parenting skills, 00:39:47.099 --> 00:39:51.480 go for it. And the second one is focus on the 00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:54.340 family. Focus on the family is a ministry in 00:39:54.340 --> 00:39:55.980 the U .S. that is an international ministry. 00:39:56.159 --> 00:39:58.559 They have the website, focusonthefamily .org. 00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:02.179 They have YouTube videos. You can go and find 00:40:02.179 --> 00:40:04.900 their channel there. They have podcasts. But 00:40:04.900 --> 00:40:09.739 they have a whole collection of topics, anything 00:40:09.739 --> 00:40:12.880 family related. You are a child with a difficult 00:40:12.880 --> 00:40:17.039 parent, you'll find something there. Your parents 00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:19.099 are aging and they have Alzheimer's and you have 00:40:19.099 --> 00:40:21.239 new challenges. You will find something there. 00:40:22.400 --> 00:40:25.239 You have a difficult child that is just hard 00:40:25.239 --> 00:40:29.619 to guide. You will find something there. Focus 00:40:29.619 --> 00:40:32.280 on the family is an amazing resource that you 00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:35.400 can go for. So these two resources I want to 00:40:35.400 --> 00:40:40.059 leave you with just to help you be equipped in 00:40:40.059 --> 00:40:43.480 the journey of building godly families that God 00:40:43.480 --> 00:40:47.989 has given us. As we come before the Lord, if 00:40:47.989 --> 00:40:51.789 you realize that you have not been honoring your 00:40:51.789 --> 00:40:54.369 parents like God wants you to, and perhaps you 00:40:54.369 --> 00:40:56.730 don't understand even how to do it because your 00:40:56.730 --> 00:41:02.349 case is so complex, tell the Lord now. Invite 00:41:02.349 --> 00:41:07.389 him to guide you. If you're a parent and you 00:41:07.389 --> 00:41:10.289 realize that you have not been channeling God's 00:41:10.289 --> 00:41:13.710 grace into the life of your children, now is 00:41:13.710 --> 00:41:20.699 the time. Lord, we come to you humbled by the 00:41:20.699 --> 00:41:25.059 gift, humbled by the calling, but also humbled 00:41:25.059 --> 00:41:29.980 because we acknowledge this is beyond us. We 00:41:29.980 --> 00:41:34.860 need so much wisdom at every turn, but thank 00:41:34.860 --> 00:41:38.940 you. Because even though babies may not come 00:41:38.940 --> 00:41:41.780 with manuals, you did not leave us without instruction. 00:41:43.050 --> 00:41:47.110 And you did tell us, these are the pillars that 00:41:47.110 --> 00:41:50.969 I want you to build. And Lord, help us build 00:41:50.969 --> 00:41:55.309 them. And we consecrate our homes, our children 00:41:55.309 --> 00:41:59.349 to you, Lord. And we ask you that you will encounter 00:41:59.349 --> 00:42:01.469 them in their journey so that they will come 00:42:01.469 --> 00:42:05.449 to know you, love you, serve you with their lives 00:42:05.449 --> 00:42:09.449 in any area of career that you are calling them 00:42:09.449 --> 00:42:13.320 to pursue. Their giftedness comes from you. And 00:42:13.320 --> 00:42:15.260 we believe that you will guide them, that you 00:42:15.260 --> 00:42:17.760 will provide for them, that they will be okay 00:42:17.760 --> 00:42:22.340 because they are in your hands. So Lord, thank 00:42:22.340 --> 00:42:25.360 you for your word. Empower us in this calling. 00:42:25.420 --> 00:42:27.619 We pray in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. 00:42:34.280 --> 00:42:37.800 Thank you for tuning in to the ECB Sermon Podcast. 00:42:38.579 --> 00:42:42.139 Whether near or far, If you are looking for community 00:42:42.139 --> 00:42:46.019 or are in need of prayer, we welcome you to engage 00:42:46.019 --> 00:42:50.860 by sending us an email to office at ecb .asia. 00:42:51.400 --> 00:42:54.480 If God is calling you to support our ministries, 00:42:54.500 --> 00:42:57.199 you will find giving options on our website. 00:42:58.019 --> 00:43:01.460 And remember to join us next week. God bless 00:43:01.460 --> 00:43:01.699 you.