★ MY SERMON NOTES
Naming Ceremony
of Miss. Chimnemelum Blossom Samara Uche
@ Federal Housing Estate, Lugbe
Abuja - Nigeria
28th April, 2015
* Speaker: Pastor Peter Adebola
* Topic: Train Up Your Child in The way of the Lord
* Names are very important to God
- God Himself has several names
- When God wanted to do something spectacular in the life of a man, He addresses the issue of that man's name. For instance: God changed Abram and Sarai's names to 'Abraham' and 'Sarah' respectively when He wanted to bless them (Genesis 17:5 and 15); Jacob's name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10); Jesus changed Simon's name to Cephas (that is: Peter) (John 1:42)
* Just like God, we must take names important
* Anything of value must pass through a process
→ A great child must pass through rigorous training (spiritually, academically, physically, socially etc.)
★ Proverbs 22:4 → "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
* Child training in the way of the Lord supersedes any kind of training
* Spiritual training is very important
→ It forms a foundation for a great future
* God will hold you responsible for instructing your children in the way of the Lord
→ You must ensure that they do not grow up to become wayward or backward
★ 1st Samuel 3:13 →" For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not."
★ Genesis 18:19 → "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
★ Joshua 24:15 → "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
* God will not hold the church responsible for your failure [in raising your child in the fear of the Lord.]
→ Training of children is generational
★ 2 Timothy 1:5 → "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also."
* Pay the price to train your children
- A well trained child is a product of consistent instruction and investment in time, prayer, discipline, money, and the like
* Spiritual training outweighs every other training
- Many parents spend a lot of money to ensure that their children get the best secular educational training, but they neglect instructing their children in the fear of the Lord.
* Training of children is a sacrificial venture. It does not come easy, and initially, the child may not even appreciate it!
* You don't have to indulge them in everything
- Generally, children always want to have their way. They want to sleep longer in the mornings; they want to sleep late at night; they don't want to go to school everyday; etc. - the list is endless!
* As a parent, you have to be tender and tough at the same time
- You must learn to strike a balance when disciplining your children. Avoid both extremes of toughness or permissive tenderness.
* Do not over-pamper your children
- It is good to let the kids have treats occasionally, but when it is too much or too frequent, it becomes detrimental
* You have to train your child today so that the child can be 'traced' tomorrow.
- What you sow in their lives is exactly what you reap in the future
* Your children cannot be 'too young' to be instructed in the way of the Lord
- Some parents think that younger children should not be disciplined or instructed. This is wrong.
- NOTE: Younger children learn faster and retain better!
