3 Heroic Lessons to Teach Your Kids

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

– Deuteronomy 6:5

This year on Father’s Day, I was reminded of what a privilege it is to be called “dad” by my four girls. Research has consistently confirmed that fathers are essential in a child’s life. Without a father in the home, we know that teens and young adults have an increased likelihood of struggling with depression and anger and drugs and crime. So, dads, your role in the home is much more important than you may realize.

If you search the pages of God’s Word, you will discover many heroic lessons that parents should pass on to their kids. Let me share with you three of the most important ones. And as an added bonus, these lessons aren’t just for dads and their kids. These four lessons are for everyone who desires to please God and follow Jesus Christ.  

Lesson 1: Trust in the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5). More than anything else that we want for our kids, we should want them to be saved. And they will never be saved unless they trust in the Lord with all their hearts. The following verse adds, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

One of the most important things we can teach our kids is how to make good and godly decisions. When they’re grown, our kids will have to make thousands of decisions without us. So, I encourage you, from time to time, to let your kids know about a big decision you have to make and invite them to join you in praying for God’s guidance. Ask your kids to stand at the crossroads and seek God’s wisdom with you. And when He gives it to you, trust Him and obey His leading together.

2. Fear the Lord and shun evil (Proverbs 3:7). I’m afraid most Christian parents these days do a much poorer job of teaching this lesson than our grandparents did. For one reason or another, parents today are hesitant to teach their kids to “fear” God. Churches used to preach more often about fire and brimstone, and Christian parents used to be better at getting the point across to their kids that disobedience equals pain and punishment.

Many older adults can remember getting the belt or the wooden spoon. Those of us who did quickly learned to have a healthy fear of mom and dad’s punishment. That being the case, it was easier for us to connect the dots and see that we should have a healthy fear of God’s punishment when we choose to rebel and sin.

3. Love the Lord with everything you’ve got. Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” And Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:38 that this is the first and most important command. That’s because if you obey this command, you will—at the same time—obey every other command. We must instill a heart for prayer in our kids. And while we’re at it, we must instill a heart for God’s Word in our kids. And we need to be instilling a heart for the church in our kids. Our kids should learn to love the Bride of Christ at a young age.

I’m deeply concerned about the younger generations of Americans. Too many of our youth are growing up without these lessons. Studies have shown that millennials—those who were born between 1981 & 1996—are the most unreached and unchurched generation in the history of our country. On their heels is Generation Z—those who were born roughly between 1996 and 2015—and early indications are that this group is faring even worse.

Parents, if we’re serious about protecting our kids from the pull of Satan and the pull of this sinful world, we have to teach them to love God with everything they’ve got. We have to prioritize prayer in our homes every day. We have to prioritize reading God’s word in our homes every day. We have to prioritize attending and serving at a church every week. And we have to be on our knees fighting for the souls of our kids and grandkids.

Many years ago, Dr. James Dobson’s dad said it well: “The greatest delusion is to suppose that our children will be devout Christians simply because their parents have been, or that any of them will enter into the Christian faith in any other way than through their parents’ deep travail of prayer and faith.”

Most churched kids stop attending church regularly during their college years—and for many, that decision is pre-meditated. While they’re attending church as teens, they fully intend to walk away from it once they move out. They plan to move OUT of mom and dad’s house and move ON from church.

That breaks my heart. And I hope it breaks your heart too. The spiritual lostness and apathy of our younger generations compel me to step up my efforts to be a better dad than I have been. I must be more dedicated and consistent in teaching my girls to Trust God, Fear God, and Love God. You and I must fight for the souls of our kids and grandkids. And then maybe…just maybe…their hearts will be set ablaze with an unquenchable love for God.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Please join us for our LIVE outdoor worship services Sundays at 8 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd. in Victorville. Or, join us online at 10 a.m. at Live.GreaterImpact.cc, on our YouTube channel (Impact Christian Church) or on Facebook.

Be Strong and Courageous

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

- Joshua 1:9

I’ll never forget the day I first became a father. After a couple of trips to the hospital and several hours of difficult labor, the doctor broke the news: The baby would have to be delivered by C-section. And after we welcomed our first baby girl into the world, my wife Christine spent some time in recovery while I waited with our girl. At last mama and baby were settled into her room … and I was getting really hungry. So, with Christine’s permission, I made a quick trip to the drive-through and picked up a burger to celebrate. Half an hour later, I was back at the hospital with my wife and new daughter, enjoying my tasty meal.

Fast-forward two and a half years. Once again, we were in the O.R., having our second baby delivered by C-section. And after our new little girl was all cleaned up and placed in the nursery, Christine was still in recovery. But now I was an experienced dad – I knew the way things worked, and I knew I had at least 30 to 45 minutes before my wife would be out of recovery. Plenty of time to grab that burger … right? But when I returned with my fast-food bag in hand, Christine was waiting alone in her room. My heart dropped. She’d been sure I wouldn’t leave her and the baby. She gave me an earful, and I deserved it. It was a defining moment in my marriage, and suffice it to say I didn’t make the same mistake with daughters #3 and #4.

Yes, over the years I’ve had my fair share of foibles as a husband and as a father. This makes me so very grateful for the godly examples of husbands and fathers in Scripture—men like Joshua. Clearly, the LORD had special plans for Joshua. And as the Israelites reached the promised land, his faith was put to the test. Of the twelve spies Moses sent ahead to check out their new home, Joshua and Caleb were the only two who had faith in God. As a result, they were the only two who didn’t die of a plague that God sent on the other ten spies. And they were the only middle-aged men who were allowed to enter the promised land. Every other man who was at least twenty years old when the Exodus from Egypt began died in the desert. Joshua understood a lesson we all should remember: There is no need to fear men when the LORD is with us. So walk by faith, not by sight.

Then, after forty years of faithfully serving as Moses’ right-hand man, Joshua was assigned to embark on a mission that would have completely intimidated most men. Moses died at the ripe old age of 120, and God chose Joshua to be Israel’s next leader. His first task? To lead the Israelites in the conquest of the promised land. The walls around the enemy cities were tall and thick. The residents of the cities were big and intimidating—after all, Goliath’s ancestors lived there. But when push came to shove, the only thing that really mattered was the truth that God revealed to Joshua: “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5). So, with that truth settled, the only thing left for Joshua to do was to courageously obey. When we are in the center of God’s will, there is no room for fear. There is only room for strength and courageous obedience.

Joshua did all that God commanded him to do. Over the next fifty years or so, Joshua courageously led the Israelites in conquest of the promised land. They took possession of the land flowing with milk and honey. And at the ripe old age of 110, Joshua’s life was about to end. So, he called the tribal leaders together for one last pep talk. Joshua knew that the people of Israel would continue to be tempted to turn their backs on God. So, as this group of influential men gathered to listen to their wise old leader, this is what Joshua said to them: “Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Throughout his entire adult life, Joshua had faithfully served the Lord. But he understood something that many other men in Scripture didn’t understand. It’s not just about ME serving the Lord faithfully. I must do my very best to lead my FAMILY to serve the Lord faithfully. Many Christian dads wonder: Should I require my family to pray and read the Bible together? The answer is…YES. Should I make my kids go to church with me, even if they’re teenagers? If they live under your roof, then YES. Should I restrict my teens from watching movies, visiting websites and listening to music that is filled with profanity and mocks God? ABSOLUTELY!

You see, we only have a short time to shape our kids’ character before they move out and begin lives of their own. So, like Joshua we should say, we MUST say, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Taking this stand could be your next defining moment.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information, visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com  and join us for worship Sundays at 10 a.m.