Unless the LORD Builds the House

by

The Home & the Church Conference

Psalm 127:1-5 – Discipling your children should be the top priority in parenting. Being active in church cannot fully substitute the power of an intentional home.

The Need 

  • We often blame our children’s spiritual condition on the culture we cannot control rather than the family we can alter.
  • Every fabric of society is doing everything possible to detach children from their parents.
    • School
    • Activities
    • Technology
    • Government
    • Church
  • Many children grow up without experiencing spiritual growth beside their parents.
    • Preschool
    • Kids
    • Teenagers
    • College
  • 936
    • You have 936 Sundays before your child turns 18.
    • Many churched kids will never have a spiritual conversation with their parents between Sundays.
    • Many churched kids will never sit beside their parents in worship.
  • We have expected the church to do what God created the home to do.
  • The church has replaced parents with programs, and we are losing our children one generation at a time.

The Architect [Psalm 127:1-2]

  • “A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.”
    • What happens in your house is just as important as what happens in God’s house.
  • The most critical spiritual environment is the one in which you live.
  • Sleep evades those whose lives are frantic and whose souls are burdened.
  • We are to be ever diligent (for God’s agenda) yet never anxious (for other agendas). 
  • Christian homes are in danger when we succumb to worthless pursuits and frivolous concerns.
  • Attempting discipleship apart from the home or the church is detrimental to our development.

The Occupants [Psalm 127:3-5]

  • Children are a blessing – not a burden.
  • A trained warrior understands that a sharpened arrow can go where he cannot.
  • A quiver of arrows is helpful, but a bag of sticks is burdensome. 
  • Every arrow needs to be sharpened, aimed, and released.
    • Sharpened – Parents are to do the work to improve the quality of their children.
    • Aimed – If you don’t direct your children, someone else will.
    • Released – Your goal should be to mature your children into independent disciples of Jesus. 

Assessment

The Home

  • What is critical to alter right now?

The Church

  • Am I raising children to love the church?