FAMILY FIRST: Parenting
Summary
Parenting can feel like carrying the weight of someone else’s future on your shoulders. We want our kids to make good choices, become healthy adults, and most importantly, know and follow Jesus. But as much as we might want to, we can’t control the outcome.
Our responsibility is to go first—to live an authentic life with Jesus, intentionally teach and guide the next generation, help them discover who God created them to be, pray like crazy, and eventually release them into God’s hands.
And this isn’t just for biological parents. God uses spiritual moms and dads, grandparents, aunties and uncles, teachers, mentors, and friends to help the next generation find and follow Jesus.
Intro Prayer
Jesus, thank You for bringing us together. As we talk about parenting, mentoring, and investing in the next generation, help us come with open hearts. Show us where You want to grow us, challenge us, or encourage us. Give us wisdom for the people You’ve entrusted to us and help us become people worth following as we follow You. Amen.
Ice Breaker
What is one thing a parent, teacher, coach, or mentor did for you growing up that you still remember and appreciate today?
Key Verses
Psalm 127:3
Deuteronomy 6:5–7
Ephesians 6:4
Proverbs 13:24
Ephesians 2:10
Romans 12:6
Philippians 4:6–7
Romans 14:12
Psalm 68:5
Questions
1. If our greatest responsibility is helping the next generation find and follow Jesus, what tends to compete with that goal?
What are some good things—success, achievement, behavior, sports, academics, comfort, reputation—that can accidentally become more important than helping our kids know Jesus?
2. Read Deuteronomy 6:5–7. Why do you think loving God comes before teaching our children about God?
How does your own relationship with Jesus affect the people you are raising, mentoring, or influencing?
3. What does it look like to “live it first” when we don’t always get it right?
How can admitting that we were wrong, asking for forgiveness, or being honest about our own struggles actually strengthen our influence with the next generation?
4. Healthy discipline is about producing growth, not releasing our anger. How does that change the way we approach correction?
What might it look like to use the lightest touch necessary to bring about real change instead of immediately reaching for the harshest consequence?
5. Every kid is different. Why is it important to understand how someone is wired instead of expecting everyone to respond the same way?
Where have you seen someone thrive because a parent, teacher, coach, or mentor took the time to understand them?
6. Read Ephesians 2:10. What changes when we see our children as God’s masterpiece instead of our masterpiece?
How can parents help their kids discover God’s purpose for their lives without trying to live vicariously through them or pushing them toward the life the parent wants for them?
7. There is so much in parenting—and in life—that we simply cannot control. What role does prayer play when we reach the limits of our influence?
How does prayer change our posture toward people or situations we desperately want to fix but can’t?
8. Eventually, healthy parenting requires releasing our kids. Why can that be so difficult?
What does it practically look like to trust God with someone you deeply love, especially when they make decisions you wouldn’t make for them?
Life Application
Think of one person in the next generation God has placed in your life—a child, student, mentee, young adult, niece, nephew, or someone else you have the opportunity to influence.
Commit to praying for them every day this week. Ask God to show you one practical way you can help point them toward Jesus, and then take that step.
If you’re a parent, consider having an honest conversation with your child about your own journey with Jesus. Don’t just share the victories. Let them see some of the struggles, questions, failures, and ways God has met you along the way.
Key Takeaways
Live it first. We can’t lead the next generation somewhere we aren’t willing to go ourselves. An authentic relationship with Jesus is foundational.
Teach them. Kids need intentional guidance, correction, and discipline—but discipline should come from love and wisdom, not anger.
Help them discover God’s purpose for their life. Our kids are God’s masterpiece, not ours. Our job isn’t to write their story for them but to help them discover how God has uniquely made and gifted them.
Pray like crazy. There will always be things we cannot control. Prayer invites God to work in people and situations in ways we never could.
Release them well. Our kids were never meant to stay dependent on us forever. Part of faithful parenting is eventually giving them room to own their faith, make decisions, fail, grow, and write their own story with God.
Ending Prayer
Jesus, thank You for the next generation and for the privilege of being part of their lives. Help us to go first—to live lives that genuinely follow You before asking anyone else to do the same.
Give us wisdom to teach and correct with patience and love. Help us recognize the unique ways You have created and gifted each person. Teach us to pray boldly about the things we cannot control, and give us the courage to release the people we love into Your hands.
May the next generation see Jesus more clearly because of the way we live, love, lead, and trust You. Amen.
