The two things Parents must do and are not doing.

I was recently reading the February Barna research report titled "Parents Describe How they raise their Children." Two of items that I feel are most important in raising children are barely on the radar for most parents. I am going to share with you what they are and why I think they are important.

Factor #1 Integrity and Morality

Barna reports that only 1% of parents believe their personal integrity or moral values are important in child rearing. Would you agree with the 99% that feel its importance is low. I wonder if it is rated low because the parents feel they do not have integrity or high morals and so it cannot be all that important? Or perhaps it is because they know they are a "good" person.

Are you a good person?

Do you mind if I ask you some questions to see if it is true?

Have you ever lied? Not even once, not even a white lie?
If you have then what does that make you? If you said a liar you would be correct.

Have you stolen anything? The value is unimportant, have you taken anything that does not belong to you by force, trickery, or while no one was looking?
If you have, what does that make you? A thief.

Have you ever looked at someone with lust?
Then you have committed adultery in your heart.

Have you ever used God's name in vain? In place of a four letter filth word to express disgust?
If you have you have committed blasphemy.


If you where judged by the Ten Commandments on judgment day would you be guilty or innocent?

If guilty of being a liar, or thief, or adulterer, or blasphemer, would you go to heaven or hell? If you are not sure look below.

The Bible records that all liars have their part in the lake of fire. It also makes it clear the thieves and adulterers will not inherit the Kingdom of God. It also record that God will not hold those who take His name in vain guiltless. (Rev 21:8, 1 Cor 6:9)

The fact is that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" You are guilty, and a fine has been given. The fine is death, for "the wages of sin is death".

You need to know if you die in your sins you will pay the fine, but I would be wrong not to tell you that God paid the fine already. Jesus, without sin, took on your sins and paid the fine. He died, was buried for your sins. Three days later He was resurrected and later ascended to heaven to make a place for you.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (Acts 3:19)

You probably already know about Jesus and what He did, but the demons know that and they tremble.

Visualize youself on an airplane. The captain announces that the engines are dead and you will have to jump out of the airplane. He informs you a parachute is under your seat and recommends putting it on. You rip the parachute out from under the seat, and with relief that it is indeed there, you place it on the seat next to you.

At that point you merely believe in the parachute, however if you jump without it on you will die. You have to put the parachute on in order for it to save you. You will not take it off no mater how much the other passengers make fun of your parachute.



The second thing that bothered me was that only 3 out of 10 people on this plane wearing the parachute thought it was important to tell their kids about the parachute.

"Only three out of ten born again parents included the salvation of their child in the list of critical parental emphases,"


Your children will lie, steal, commit adultery of the heart, use God's name in vain, or break one of the other laws that God requires kept. If you do not help them see the need for the parachute, and put it on your self first, they may not ever do so. Then when they jump, they will pass through the door to judgment and then eternal punishment.