Leading Your Children To Christ

Leading Your Children to Christ

2 Timothy 1:1-5

Introduction: The other day, my wife got a phone call from a lady in the church about her daughter. It seems that her daughter had not been sleeping over the past several nights because she wasn’t sure she was a Christian. My wife sat down with her and talked for some time about how to become a Christian. The girl left with many questions and Penny plans to talk to her again in the next few days.

After they left, I wondered why her parents could not have answered the child’s question. I have had opportunity to talk to several children about Christ lately and I have been amazed at their confusion on the matter. It occurred to me that many parents simply don’t know how to talk to their children about Christ.

That is why I wanted to speak on the topic of leading your children to Christ today. Fact is, around 75% of those making a decision for Christ do so before age 18. It is important to reach them in their formative years because after that, it becomes increasingly more difficult.

I. THE GOOD NEWS MUST BE VALUED

a. Timothy’s mother and grandmother took their faith seriously – they made it a priority to inculcate the ways of godliness into young Timothy.

b. God instructs us in his word to teach our children his precepts – (*Deut. 6:4-9)

c. Parents who take their faith seriously will value it enough to pass it on to their offspring.

d. “The problem today is that most of us have been inoculated with such a weak case of Christianity that we are immune to the real thing!”

II. THE GOOD NEWS MUST BE VISUALIZED

a. Timothy was able to see God at work in the life of his mother and grandmother – (Genuine faith = without hypocrisy)

b. “God’s evangelistic strategy in a nutshell: He desires to build into you and me the beauty of his own character, and then put us on display.” —Joseph Aldrich

c. If children do not see the gospel modeled out in the home, how can it be expected of them to become Christians or to take the message seriously?

d. “Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.”

III. THE GOOD NEWS MUST BE VERBALIZED

a. Timothy was taught the scriptures in his home and when Paul came to Lystra, his heart was prepared for a harvest. (Acts 16:1)

b. I believe that parents should take an active role in leading their children to Christ.

c. That active role includes teaching the truth and dispelling the myth.

d. Don’t expect someone else to do something that your are not willing to do…It is not someone else’s job.