Raising Godly Children

Luke 1:80
“So the child grew and became strong in spirit, . . .”

Every parent has the same goal. We desire the best for our children. We want to see them achieve more than we have. We want them to make it through childhood not having been distracted or derailed by vices, but to be prepared to live godly lives and make good life choices. What a blessing for Zacharias and Elizabeth to read that their son, “grew and became strong in spirit”.

This statement reveals the grace of God, but it is also the byproduct of the way they lived their lives. We read in Scripture, and see in life, there are godly children produced in ungodly homes, however it is much more common for godliness in parents to be transferred to their kids. Notice for a moment the way Zach and Liz lived, we read,

“They were both righteous. . .”

Zach chose a godly wife, she a godly husband.
Zach served the Lord.
Together they were committed to the Word of God.
Even before John was born, they were praying for him.
They were real people with real struggles. Not having children and being older, caused Zach to question the promises of God; yet they continued to faithfully follow and serve the Lord.
They stood up to the culture – because Zach was mute, Liz named their son John. The people opposed her, yet she stood on the Word of God.
They worshipped the Lord. The moment his tongue was loosed, instead of blaming God for the difficulties of the last 9 months, Zach worshipped God.
They were filled with the Holy Spirit. Parenting is perhaps life’s greatest challenge, we cannot face it alone, we need a daily outpouring of the Spirit to succeed.

Perhaps the key to it all, they parented with a purpose. In Verse 76, we read they taught John the Word and ways of God. They taught Him God had a plan for his life, and taught him to live up to that plan.
We all want to see our kids and grandkids walking with the Lord. While we trust them to the grace of God, we also must set an example of walking with the Lord. Let’s commit today to put the things of the Lord first in our lives

Pastor Jim

Questions for Luke 1

Who was Zacharias’s wife?
What happened to Zacharias after the angel of the lord told him about his wife having a child?
When did the angel Gabriel appear to Mary?
The angel Gabriel told Mary that Jesus would reign over the house of Jacob and that kingdom would have what?
Will you be a part of that kingdom?
How did Mary respond to Elizabeth’s affirmation in vs 45?
How did Zachariah respond after his tongue was loosed? Is there a similarity to Mary’s response to God’s moving and Zacharias’s response to God’s moving?
What can we learn from their responses?
Verse 67 says that Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit. When you accepted Jesus the bible says that the Holy Spirit came in you. Read Acts chapter 1:8. Notice that this passage in Acts speaks of another work of the Spirit. This is called the baptism of the Spirit. The purpose of this work of the Spirit is so you can be effective in your witness for Jesus. Make it a habit to wake up in the morning and ask God to baptize you with His Spirit. Pray right now, watch and see how the Lord uses you as you are filled with the Spirit today.

Old Testament:
Exodus 39- Dress For Success
Exodus 40- Glory Of The Lord