Ephesians Pt. 16
We’re very nearly at the end of our time in Ephesians for now. This has brought us to one of my favourite passages from the Bible from when I was a child. Ephesians 6:4a - you’ll now why when you read it. The parent-child relationship is likely the most significant and formative relationship among humans, yet sadly it is one that is so often fractured or even completely broken. This week we’ll talk about what it ought to look like, and how it is possible to live this way, and see restoration, even though none of us are perfect.
Anchor Text:
Ephesians 6:1-9 NLT - Children and Parents
Deuteronomy 5:16 NLT - “Honor your father and mother”
Questions to Ponder:
Why do you think the commandment in Deuteronomy 5:16 comes with a promise? Is it a “promise” or a “consequence?”
Is the promise/consequence meant to be taken literally? Symbolic? Why?
Do children always need to obey their parents? Are the exceptions to this general rule?
According to Ephesians 6:1-14, what standard does God hold parents to if they are to be obeyed.
There are various translations of Ephesians 6:4b (bring them up in the nurture and admonition” of the Lord. The first is a sense of bringing them up in the ideals and traditions of a culture while the second implies warning or caution so as to keep them on the right path. Can you describe what this looks like as Christians in God’s world?
Does these instructions extend from parents to include teachers (Sunday school, school, Christian clubs etc.?)
Fathers in particular (but all parents/teachers), what can you do to make sure you aren’t pushing your children toward anger and bitterness?
The Theme in Song:
This song is a little different for this blog because it’s not a Christian song. In the lyrics and the video it gives us a lot to think about, though—Loving a child no matter what, doing everything you can to give them a hope and a future… Will we “never let them down”? Will we always be “proud”? I’m not sure about those last two, but it should give us pause for thought. Have a listen and see how this song affects you as a parent or as a child (remember parents, you were young once, too!)