Let's first go to the Old Testament

and then see verse 5:1 to see how the world USED to respond to Christianity - but no more!
Joshua 5:1 - And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

Are you leaving stones, dad?  (pebbles, rocks, gravel, sand, kidney...?)

• The Book - rightly divided and Pauleatted!
• Your Church - KJV only and God pleasing music, etc.!
• A Pastor - preaches the word to those wanting to hear the words of the Lord!
• The Brethren - no judgment and the brethren are there for each other, etc.
• Your own example - as a Christian, a father, a husband, a man!
• Grace & truth! - Paul's ways  as our example to carry on the truth of Jesus Christ - it gives your kids the peace of God!

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
A little different look at this verse b - the glory of the children are their father's crown...  Those neat little kids are mine!  How many fathers say that?

Or are children now just an irritant - an expense - a bother to their dads, something you don't really have time for, let someone else do my kids for me, etc.?

We are not talking about flattering and glorifying our children as the world does today.  Yes, life isn't all about them, but they are neat little 'critters!'

Misc. Quotes about our neat little children!

• Many children, many cares - no children, no happiness!
• When children sound silly, they are usually imitating their parents!
• Children need models more than critics!
• Before marriage,. a man has no children yet he has theories about how to train children; after marriage he has children and no theories about how to train them.
• Young children disturb your sleep; older children disturb your life!  We chuckle, but that doesn't have to be... (Titus 2:6-8; I Timothy 4:12; Ephesians 4:14; I Corinthians 13:11 - When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.)

This explains the sour grapes dad and kids with the children's teeth being set on edge.
Ezekiel 18:1-9

What a sad household if this was to be true in any of our homes today - oh, hey, it is, as a pastor, I know!

• Even in the homes of many bible believers!
• Even in the homes of rightly dividing bible believers.
• But it shouldn't always be in the home of a rightly dividing Pauline Bible Believer!

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

Will these fair virgins and young men be our children - our grand children?
Will they even be seeking to hear the words of the LORD?  Will they even know His words are available?

or will they be seeking:

• a religion?
• a program?
• a church?
• a gimmick or something to 'get folks to come to church'?
• a religious / old nature psychology book - new age philosophy / another spirit / another Jesus?
• seeking a false gospel?
• a career?
• financial comfort?
• friends / acceptance?
• happiness without true inner joy?

Do you use your kids / family to do wrong?

Is your family a mess today - confused?  Do they not know the answers or do they know, but won't be led to the truth in their lifestyles?

See verse 20 - Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

See verses 23-28 - is this what you want for your kids tomorrow?

It seems that fathers today (men in general) are easily able to forsake family, etc. but sadly, only to follow themselves!

Are any men running up and asking what they should do for eternal life - or even just to hear from God?
ha - right!

Not for the truth of it all, anyway!

Fathers today have 'inherited' debt and all that goes with it:

• bondage to the buck - the almighty dollar and extravagant lifestyle - Houses, Horses, Hobbies and Hollywood, the Devil's 4-H program!
• have pierced themselves and their families with many sorrows
• have already or are continuing to err from the faith more and more as days go by!

Nurture and admonition of the Lord!
Ephesians 6:4 -  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

• Nurture - To feed; to nourish. What are dad's good at when it comes to feeding?
• Admonition - Gentle reproof; counseling against a fault; instruction in duties; caution; direction.

• Discourage - To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits; to deject; to deprive of confidence.

Is it the word of dad, or the word of God that they learn or are those two one in the same?   see verse 13!   For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

• Note that Paul called his 'followers' beloved sons - and he says that he warns them!  I Corinthians 4:14 - I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.  Do you do that, dad, or do you send them out there to learn the hard way - on their own - without a warning?  (unless they are pushing for it...)
• Paul called Timotheus his beloved son... I Corinthians 4:17 - For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
• Paul prays for grace, mercy and peace to his beloved son.  I Timothy 1:2; II Timothy 1:2.  Do you, dad?  Is that what you offer your children?

• Do you want them to pass on to your grand kids the same stuff you taught them?
• II Timothy 2:1 - Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
• - uh, what exactly have you taught them?  Grace by Paul's teachings or the walk based on the Gospels?