Have we failed

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 Lifeway did a survey of young adults and found that 66% of them aged 18 to 22 are leaving the church for quite a period of time and many say forever. Looking at these numbers, I think we as the church are failing. We need to do better at training our children not just our children but all the children we are have contact with on a regular basis. Many children that have been in church all of their lives don’t know the basics of Christianity. Here at our church we have good teachers in our Sunday School but if the children aren’t in Sunday School they aren’t getting all the training that is available to them. As a preacher I know we are giving the word out and for the most part the children can understand what is being preached. For some that hour or two is all the bible teaching they get. They sure don’t get it a public school, for the most part they are taught how Christianity is false. Parents are you training your children up in Christ? Ultimately the responsibility falls on you. The Old Testament tells us this in the passage below

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 

 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. 

The children of Israel were commanded to teach their children at all times who God was.

They were told to bind this on their hands and between their eyes, even write it on the post of their houses as well as on their gates. I think this was to be a reminder to the children at all times. We need to be doing this for our children today teaching them at all times that Jesus is the 

way the truth and the life and no one can come to God any other way but through Him. Not only that we need to be teaching what a better life the Christian life is compared to the world’s way of living.

We see and hear parents today saying, where did I go wrong or why did my child do the things that they have done. Yet they have never taken them to church or taught them about the Lord. They have failed, many Christians have had children that have gone astray even with the best training. Some children will rebel no matter what. But it is our responsibility to train them up the right way.

Don’t fail at this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great day

Write to Randy Maynord