Raising a Rebellious Child

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Many years ago, I took notes on a sermon preached by Evangelist Jim Van Gelderen.  I found these notes in a drawer yesterday as I was doing my spring cleaning.  Even now as I read over them, I am convicted and see areas of parenting in which I need to be more consistent. 

[I am posting a summary of my notes from that evening church service.  If you would like to hear this message in its entirety, you can listen to it here.]

How to Raise a Rebel

1.  Be bitter.  Hebrews 12:15 says, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

2.  Blame everyone else but you and your kids for their problems. 

3.  Don’t support God-ordained authorities in their lives.  “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”  [Romans 13:1-2]  When you resist God-ordained authorities, you resist God.

4.  Put sports (or other activities) above God.

5.  Don’t be vigilant on media choices.

6.  Be a hypocrite.

7.  Have an imbalance between strong discipline and unconditional love.  Failing to implement discipline in your child’s life equals self love, not child love.

8.  Be a stranger to God’s grace.  A great example of this is prayerlessness.  Failing to pray is a declaration of our dependence on self and our independence from God.

These were obviously given tongue-in-cheek, so let’s seek to miss all of the items on his list!