Teaching Discernment What will we cover today? Decisions, Decisions! Parenting Principles Practical Application What will we cover today? Decisions, Decisions! Parenting Principles Practical Application

Decisions, Decisions! We are all faced with decisions every day. Sometimes what is right and wrong is evident; sometimes it is grey; sometimes there is no clear right or wrong. The need for discernment: You are talking to a non-Christian friend from school, and the friend says, yeah, Im going to hell. What should you say? You discover that one of your good friends smokes pot. He argues that its not bad for you the way smoking is. The government shouldnt regulate what doesnt hurt people, he says. He offers you a joint. What do you do? Youre at Penn Station, and you meet a guy who asks you for help. His style of dress is not shabby, but not well dressed. He asks for money for a train ticket out to Long Island, saying that his wallet was stolen while he was in the city. How do you respond? You and some friends are hanging out and throwing a ball around in the parking lot at the mall. In the process, your friend throws the ball and it hits a parked car, denting it. Your friends leave. What do you do? We are all faced with decisions every day. Sometimes what is right and wrong is evident; sometimes it is grey; sometimes there is no clear right or wrong. The need for discernment: You are talking to a non-Christian friend from school, and the friend says, yeah, Im going to hell. What should you say? You discover that one of your good friends smokes pot. He argues that its not bad for you the way smoking is. The government shouldnt regulate what doesnt hurt people, he says. He offers you a joint. What do you do? Youre at Penn Station, and you meet a guy who asks you for help. His style of dress is not shabby, but not well dressed. He asks for money for a train ticket out to Long Island, saying that his wallet was stolen while he was in the city. How do you respond? You and some friends are hanging out and throwing a ball around in the parking lot at the mall. In the process, your friend throws the ball and it hits a parked car, denting it. Your friends leave. What do you do?

Decisions, Decisions! Cont You are out late Sunday night hanging out with friends. Everything is chill. You watch a movie, you talk, and you get to bed late. Monday morning, theres a pop quiz in math, the subject that youre currently failing. Your friend texts you the answers, whom he received from someone else. What do you do? Youre watching the most recent Harry Potter movie with some friends. In what ways does the movie affect you? Youre with your friends, listening to on the radio. In what ways does the music affect you? Youre working a job at McDonalds and the boss doesnt like you. What kind of a worker should you be? Youre looking at colleges. You got a 2014 on your SATs. What factors do you consider in what to look for in a college? You have several job offers on the table, post college. How do you decide between them? You live in American culture, in a variety of cultures and subcultures. In what ways have you been impacted by the culture around you, and in what ways are these things good or not good? You are out late Sunday night hanging out with friends. Everything is chill. You watch a movie, you talk, and you get to bed late. Monday morning, theres a pop quiz in math, the subject that youre currently failing. Your friend texts you the answers, whom he received from someone else. What do you do? Youre watching the most recent Harry Potter movie with some friends. In what ways does the movie affect you? Youre with your friends, listening to on the radio. In what ways does the music affect you? Youre working a job at McDonalds and the boss doesnt like you. What kind of a worker should you be? Youre looking at colleges. You got a 2014 on your SATs. What factors do you consider in what to look for in a college? You have several job offers on the table, post college. How do you decide between them? You live in American culture, in a variety of cultures and subcultures. In what ways have you been impacted by the culture around you, and in what ways are these things good or not good?

Decisions, Decisions! Cont. What is discernment? The Way of Wisdom vs the Way of Folly. Discernment is the ability to apply biblical principles to the complexities, joys, and challenges of everyday life. Wisdom and Discernment are synonymous. What is discernment? The Way of Wisdom vs the Way of Folly. Discernment is the ability to apply biblical principles to the complexities, joys, and challenges of everyday life. Wisdom and Discernment are synonymous.

Parenting Principles Remember the Foundation: Deut 6:4-9 : 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. We are to love, fear, and worship God in all of life. How to live a life of worship takes discernment. Remember the Foundation: Deut 6:4-9 : 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. We are to love, fear, and worship God in all of life. How to live a life of worship takes discernment.

Parenting Principles Learning Discernment takes practice Analogous to learning anything else in life (sports, music, school); it takes observation and practice. Theme Verse: Hebrews 5:14: 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. How do you become mature? Constant use. Use of what? Training Allows for discernment (distinguishing good from evil) Context: solid teaching, which they are not ready to hear: Hebrews 5:11- 13: 11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of Gods word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. Learning Discernment takes practice Analogous to learning anything else in life (sports, music, school); it takes observation and practice. Theme Verse: Hebrews 5:14: 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. How do you become mature? Constant use. Use of what? Training Allows for discernment (distinguishing good from evil) Context: solid teaching, which they are not ready to hear: Hebrews 5:11- 13: 11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of Gods word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

Parenting Principles Teach your child the Fear of the Lord: Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.To him belongs eternal praise. Cf all Ps Prov 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Isaiah 66:2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being? declares the LORD. These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit,and who tremble at my word. Teach your child the Fear of the Lord: Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.To him belongs eternal praise. Cf all Ps Prov 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Isaiah 66:2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being? declares the LORD. These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit,and who tremble at my word.

Parenting Principles Teach your child to study Gods word: Psalm 111:2 Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. ESV has studied where NIV has pondered Psalm 19, Psalm 119 Colossians 3:16- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… Model Bible study, individually and as a family. Make fellowship with believers a priority. Teach your child to study Gods word: Psalm 111:2 Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. ESV has studied where NIV has pondered Psalm 19, Psalm 119 Colossians 3:16- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… Model Bible study, individually and as a family. Make fellowship with believers a priority.

Parenting Principles, Cont First Messages are the Most Potent* Seize teachable moments and become askable parents* Stories are powerful teaching tools* Positive messages are more powerful than negative messages* We must inoculate our children against destructive moral messages* Repetitions is critical; repetition is really, really important* Close, positive parent-child relationships are crucial* *all principles with an asterisk are taken from How and When to Tell Your Kids about Sex, by Stan and Brenna Jones First Messages are the Most Potent* Seize teachable moments and become askable parents* Stories are powerful teaching tools* Positive messages are more powerful than negative messages* We must inoculate our children against destructive moral messages* Repetitions is critical; repetition is really, really important* Close, positive parent-child relationships are crucial* *all principles with an asterisk are taken from How and When to Tell Your Kids about Sex, by Stan and Brenna Jones

Practical Application Give your child the ability to make decisions. In other words, give your child a voice. Does your child see the fear of the Lord in you? How can you grow in this? With your child, process some (not all) decisions that you are facing. Make a lifelong study of the book of proverbs (pay attention to the characters in proverbs: the wise/the fool/the simple). Suggestion: read through a chapter of proverbs a day for a month. Repeat quarterly. Give your child the ability to make decisions. In other words, give your child a voice. Does your child see the fear of the Lord in you? How can you grow in this? With your child, process some (not all) decisions that you are facing. Make a lifelong study of the book of proverbs (pay attention to the characters in proverbs: the wise/the fool/the simple). Suggestion: read through a chapter of proverbs a day for a month. Repeat quarterly.

Practical Application Continually pray for discernment for yourself and for your child Seek to grow in discernment yourself Model for your child what it looks like to seek counsel from others Teach your child about the importance of friendships and how friendships influence us Teach your child to seek out more than just their peers. He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Continually pray for discernment for yourself and for your child Seek to grow in discernment yourself Model for your child what it looks like to seek counsel from others Teach your child about the importance of friendships and how friendships influence us Teach your child to seek out more than just their peers. He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Practical Application Teach your child to use their five senses Teach your child to think critically (different from being critical) Teach your child that God is not mocked- our decisions affect who we are Teach your child that Gods grace can redeem even our foolish decisions Teach your child to use their five senses Teach your child to think critically (different from being critical) Teach your child that God is not mocked- our decisions affect who we are Teach your child that Gods grace can redeem even our foolish decisions