This week’s passage gives specific instructions to children and to parents. But it starts with a call to everyone, husbands and wives, children and parents, masters and slaves, to submit to each other. Not to say who was in charge in each situation, but as a way of saying “after you,” like Pastor Jonathan said in his sermon. When children submit and honor their parents, it looks like obeying their rules, even when we don’t always like them. When Parents submit to and and keep from provoking anger in their children, it looks like listening and understanding before mandating the rules.
Discuss: What does it mean to honor your parents? Give some examples. Parents, give an example of how you honor your own parents, even though you are an adult now. Talk about a time when you did not, and share how you might have done it differently. For older kids, have a conversation about when they are provoked to anger, and how they might handle it, or communicate that respectfully to you, as parents.
Sing: Be Thou My Vision – Hymn #562. Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Family Activity: With school starting soon, during a pandemic, let’s cover our schools and our town in prayer! We would love for each family to go on a prayer bike ride, or prayer walk to and around their own schools this week. Pray for the administrators, teachers, paras, guest teachers, students, and parents at each school. Pray that they will stay healthy and make wise decisions. Pray for God’s protection over the building and all of the people that will be in it. If your children are too young for school, walk around your neighborhood praying for the same. Be sure to share your pictures or prayers on our private Facebook Group to encourage others in the FPCSS family to participate.