Welcome to Faith Chapel,
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I'm Tom Waters with
Restoration International.
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Today we're gonna be
talking about something
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that is vitally important.
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Something that
unfortunately is slipping
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away in the
world, something that is
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being deceptively
stolen even from our
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churches and
something that parents sadly
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are trading away for
busy, pressure-filled
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lifestyles. What
I'm talking about today
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is preserving the
family. Is that important?
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You know we live in
a world that is made up
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of families and we
have a church that's made
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up of families. And
the devils wants to destroy
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in every way possible.
He wants the destruction
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of the family. And
unfortunately, sadly,
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we see many of the
evidences of the family
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being broken and
beginning to crumble.
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It affects every
part of our world today.
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You know the Apostle
Paul in First Timothy,
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he pleased with us as parents.
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He says keep that
which is committed
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to the trust. If
there is any trust that we
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have as parents today.
It is the trust of these
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children God has give
to us. And he is calling
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to us to keep
that trust and the only
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way we can keep
that trust is as we
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keep our trust in
God our heavenly Father.
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You know you may
find yourself today.
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There maybe
someone that is struggling
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with preserving your
family, because you've
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been left in a
difficult situation.
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You've been left
as a single parent.
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I tell you that
Jesus Christ wants to be a
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husband to the single parent.
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To the single
mother who is struggling.
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Jesus wants to be a
father to those children,
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and I can tell
you today that we know
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of many
situations that have tragic
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circumstance that
have painful and difficult
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circumstances, but
when that single parent.
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Whether that's a
father or a mother.
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In those
situations we know many people
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today that are preserving their
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family in spite of the
difficult circumstances.
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And those of who
that, that have a
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very blessed
marriage union. Are you really
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preserving your
family? Are you allowing God
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to work in your
home in such a way that
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you're keeping the
family close together,
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that you have the
hearts of your children.
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I remember when I was
a boy of 8 or 9-years-old
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my brother who is
seven years older then me.
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We were given
something to look forward to.
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It was going to be one
of these riverboat tours.
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One of these
double- decker boats and we
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were looking
forward to the day that we
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could take that
ride on the boat.
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They told us that
we can each take a
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friend with us.
My brother, he could
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have one of his older
friends and I can have
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one of my young
friends and so that
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day finally came,
we were excited and we
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wanted to be on
that upper deck of that
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double-decker boat.
So we could see what was
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going on, my
parents, they were gonna stay
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down quietly just
enjoying the passing
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scenery down in the lower deck.
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Well my brother and
his friend, they were at
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the kind of the
far end of the boat and
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so we were enjoying the ride.
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And then all of a
sudden these three rough
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kind of tough
looking youths just walked
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quickly towards us. My
little friend and I and
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there they were
upset because I supposedly
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had thrown a paper
cup down on top of them.
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I didn't even have a paper cup,
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I didn't throw it down on them.
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I didn't know what
they were talking about,
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but they were upset.
And they made it very
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clear to me,
we're gonna go find some
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of our friends
and we're gonna throw
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you overboard. Oh! Here I was,
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can you imagine
just a few minutes into
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this boat ride that
we've all been looking
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forward to it and
now I'm being threatened
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while they went down
to look for their friends
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and I made a be
line for my big brother.
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I told him what had happened and
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found out that it was
my brother who dropped
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the cup of all
things down and I was the
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one getting accused
for it, so my brother
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said we better
get down with dad okay
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and I agreed.
Let's get with dad.
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So we went down
there and we told
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dad what was happening and he
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said oh just stay
with me, so its, its gonna
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be okay. You know
they're probably just
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upset and you
know we'll be fine,
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just stay here till
things calm down, so we did,
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we stayed there.
And we had our chairs
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just sitting along
the edge and I was sitting
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right there next to
dad. And all of a sudden
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I had this feeling
and I don't know if you've
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ever experienced
it, maybe you have.
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You know, you can
tell somebody is looking
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at you. Not because
we have eyes in the back
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our head, but
because somehow you can feel
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like somebody is staring at you.
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And when I turned
around and I looked
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back there were ten
somebodies staring at me.
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Ten sets of eyes and
some of those some bodies
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were bigger then my
dad. And the biggest
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one said to me and
he looked right at me
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and he said we're
gonna throw you overboard.
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Oh, even when I say
the story all those years
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ago my heart still
speeds up a little bit,
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because I'll tell
you that day when that
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big roughen said
that to me, my heart
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started pounding.
But something very
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amazing happened
then, right at that moment,
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when he said
that my dad stood up,
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I mean it was immediate.
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He stood up and
he turned and he face
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those ten rough teenagers.
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And here's what he
said I'll never forget it.
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You'll have to
go through me first.
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Oh! What words to
an 8 or 9-year-old
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who already thinks
that their dad is the
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strongest man in the world.
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And I had to tell
you I was raised on a
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farm growing up
as a boy and my dad
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was a powerful
man. He's 81-years-old
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now and you know he's
not so powerful anymore.
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It's a blessing now
to be able to reciprocate
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and to take care of
him. Now in his older age,
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but you know at that
time in my life my dad
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was my hero and
he was a strong man.
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He was
physically strong, but in my
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eyes as in many
little boys eyes,
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dad is a
strongest man and so when
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he stood up and
said you'll have to go
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through me first.
Wow! That's my dad.
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Well I tell you,
thankfully not one
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of those roughens
took the challenge
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of my father. And
I have to believe as
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I looked back that
it was because of the
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grace of God and
because of the angels
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of the Lord intervening and so
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we're able to enjoy
the rest of that boat trip.
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But why do I bring
up the story to, to
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say something
nice about my dad well
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it's a nice memory.
But there's something
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very important in
preserving the family.
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My dad had a message for those
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rough teenagers. And
that is that I'm gonna
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do whatever I need to
do to protect my family.
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You know I believe
dads should be heroes today.
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I believe that they
should be protecting
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and preserving the family.
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I believe we men need
to be in that position
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and again if you
find yourself out there
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as a single
parent, mother, who doesn't
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have someone to
stand by your side.
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God wants to be
there to help you preserve
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your family. The
question is, are we
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asking, or are we
saying like my father
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said that day,
you'll have to go through
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me first. Is that
what's really happening
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in our families or
has the devil stolen
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a march in your
home. Has he come in
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and has he begun
to ravage your family
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without you even
making a resistance,
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without you even
saying you're gonna
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have to go through me first.
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You're not gonna
get to my family.
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You're not gonna
take over this home
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without first
coming through me in the
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grace of the
Lord. Is home a refugee.
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Is your home a safe environment
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for your children.
Is it a safe place for
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the marriage to
grow. Is it a refugee to
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come home to. Do you
know what's happening
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there on the
Internet? Do you really know
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what's happening
when your children
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are sitting there in
front of the computer.
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Do you know what they are doing?
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Do you know what they're seeing?
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Do you what
they're listening to,
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when they have those walkmans on
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and those iPods
today. Do you know what's
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really going into their
head and into their heart.
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What about the television? Yes,
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you're watching the
television right now,
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and I hope it's
edifying and encouraging
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you today, but are
you saying you have
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to go through me
first for the things
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that are coming in
to your home through
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the television. Are
you preserving the family?
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What about the
telephone? Are you
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really aware of
what your young people
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are talking
about on the telephone?
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Are you aware of
what they're learning?
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Are you preserving your family?
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You know it's a
tragic thing that the kind
00:11:17.19\00:11:22.06
of ministry work
that we do in restoring
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individuals and families
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:11:24.84\00:11:27.73
We hear a lot of
very powerful stories
00:11:27.74\00:11:31.68
of God's life
changing ability, transforming
00:11:31.69\00:11:34.80
power in the
life, but we also hear
00:11:34.81\00:11:36.40
a lot of very
tragic stories. One father
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and mother came
to us and they said
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you know our son,
we thought he was doing
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home work
projects on the computer
00:11:45.93\00:11:48.57
he had to look up
things on the Internet and,
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and we're quite
certain that's the
00:11:50.50\00:11:52.51
way it started,
but for six months
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we found out
only recently when we
00:11:55.61\00:11:58.49
caught him. We
found out the things
00:11:58.50\00:12:02.59
that he had been
watching on the Internet
00:12:02.60\00:12:05.21
that had nothing to
do with his school work.
00:12:05.22\00:12:09.34
Morally life and
mind destroying things
00:12:09.35\00:12:14.45
on that Internet.
Do you really know
00:12:14.46\00:12:18.66
what your young
people are taking in
00:12:18.67\00:12:21.76
when they're
involved in these different
00:12:21.77\00:12:24.86
medias that are
so readily available,
00:12:24.87\00:12:27.26
are we as parents truly
preserving our families?
00:12:27.27\00:12:33.75
What about the associations that
00:12:33.76\00:12:35.99
our young
people are involved in.
00:12:36.00\00:12:37.63
We do seminars all
over the world in churches
00:12:37.64\00:12:41.70
and you know one
of the things that
00:12:41.71\00:12:43.64
we observe and we
observe it for two
00:12:43.65\00:12:46.98
reasons. One,
because we have such an
00:12:46.99\00:12:49.83
earnest desire
for the families to be
00:12:49.84\00:12:52.38
preserved in Jesus
Christ, in the church,
00:12:52.39\00:12:56.00
in the nation. We
have such a desire
00:12:56.01\00:12:58.66
and secondly,
because we have children of
00:12:58.67\00:13:02.04
our own. And we
know what God has called
00:13:02.05\00:13:04.31
us to do in
preserving our own family and
00:13:04.32\00:13:07.79
so often, almost in
every situation, we,
00:13:07.80\00:13:11.61
when we're at
churches or at places where
00:13:11.62\00:13:15.43
we do seminars we
often see the children
00:13:15.44\00:13:18.68
running wild, running free.
00:13:18.69\00:13:23.41
It's a gathering
place and they're taking off
00:13:23.42\00:13:26.58
with the children of
other, other people's
00:13:26.59\00:13:29.52
children and the
parents don't know
00:13:29.53\00:13:32.05
what they're
learning. And we hear some of
00:13:32.06\00:13:34.72
the sad stories of
what is picked up in
00:13:34.73\00:13:37.03
some of these associations.
00:13:37.04\00:13:38.70
Do you know what
your children are doing?
00:13:38.71\00:13:42.12
Do you know where
your children are?
00:13:42.13\00:13:44.52
Do you know what
they're learning from
00:13:44.53\00:13:46.52
these young
associates? I hope that you do
00:13:46.53\00:13:51.95
and you're
preserving your family.
00:13:51.96\00:13:54.19
I had one gentleman come to me.
00:13:54.20\00:13:56.34
We were involved in
one of our family camps
00:13:56.35\00:14:00.35
and he came to me
and said, can we go
00:14:00.36\00:14:02.57
for a walk, I need
to talk to you about
00:14:02.58\00:14:05.12
a situation. And
so we went for a walk.
00:14:05.13\00:14:07.00
Quite a long walk
actually and he said
00:14:07.01\00:14:08.91
you know my daughter has given
00:14:08.92\00:14:12.36
us all kinds of
problems and we see the problem
00:14:12.37\00:14:15.20
skimming
primarily from associations
00:14:15.21\00:14:18.91
she's having
with two young people
00:14:18.92\00:14:20.76
at the church. What shall I do?
00:14:20.77\00:14:24.12
And I said, well I
first of all I can't tell
00:14:24.13\00:14:26.34
you what to do, I
don't know the whole
00:14:26.35\00:14:28.82
situation, but what
you're describing to
00:14:28.83\00:14:31.53
me and the
symptoms that you're seeing,
00:14:31.54\00:14:33.68
I'll tell you what
I would do as a parent
00:14:33.69\00:14:36.78
understanding
what you're describing.
00:14:36.79\00:14:39.29
I said I would pull
back that association.
00:14:39.30\00:14:43.81
I would cut back
that association.
00:14:43.82\00:14:47.03
I would give my
time, your wife and you
00:14:47.04\00:14:50.86
to give time to
replace that association
00:14:50.87\00:14:54.11
with position association
with yourself, with your
00:14:54.12\00:14:57.50
family, rebuild the
connection between you
00:14:57.51\00:15:02.05
and your daughter
and then govern those
00:15:02.06\00:15:04.86
outside associations
in a family setting,
00:15:04.87\00:15:07.66
not just leaving
your daughter to run with
00:15:07.67\00:15:12.26
those youths that
are having problems.
00:15:12.27\00:15:14.42
He said but I can't do
that. If I, if I cut off
00:15:14.43\00:15:18.01
that associations, she'll rebel.
00:15:18.02\00:15:20.02
She might even leave
home. I said if you're
00:15:20.03\00:15:24.22
that nervous about
your daughter response
00:15:24.23\00:15:27.46
to you drawing a
clear boundary to protect
00:15:27.47\00:15:29.71
her I said then
she's already in rebellion.
00:15:29.72\00:15:31.70
I said what she
needs is to know that
00:15:31.71\00:15:34.45
you care enough
to stop her, that you
00:15:34.46\00:15:37.34
love her enough
to stop. He said I'm
00:15:37.35\00:15:40.11
afraid to do it.
I'm afraid of what might
00:15:40.12\00:15:42.96
happen. And for
those of you out there
00:15:42.97\00:15:45.13
today that maybe
afraid of drawing a
00:15:45.14\00:15:46.83
clear boundary,
please don't be afraid,
00:15:46.84\00:15:49.38
that's what our young
people are calling for.
00:15:49.39\00:15:51.46
But the clear
boundary must be drawn with
00:15:51.47\00:15:53.53
principles and
it must be drawn in
00:15:53.54\00:15:55.85
the strength of
Jesus Christ and part of
00:15:55.86\00:15:57.96
what must
replace, what we take away
00:15:57.97\00:16:00.13
must be us. One of
the greatest blessings
00:16:00.14\00:16:03.64
that my wife
Elaine and I have learned
00:16:03.65\00:16:06.50
in our parenting is
that we must first be
00:16:06.51\00:16:08.76
willing to give
ourselves to our children.
00:16:08.77\00:16:12.22
You know as we
give ourselves first to
00:16:12.23\00:16:16.07
our children. Then
we can give them the
00:16:16.08\00:16:19.37
things that they
need. The positive and the
00:16:19.38\00:16:21.09
negative, we can
give them the boundaries
00:16:21.10\00:16:22.98
that are given to
us through the word
00:16:22.99\00:16:24.77
of God, but we
need to give ourselves.
00:16:24.78\00:16:27.41
Time to listen, time
to be there for them.
00:16:27.42\00:16:30.07
You know that man
was afraid to make
00:16:30.08\00:16:32.71
that step and
his daughter came to
00:16:32.72\00:16:34.80
my wife and I
later and she said all
00:16:34.81\00:16:36.83
I was looking for
was for my father to be
00:16:36.84\00:16:39.92
strong enough to
draw a line and pull me
00:16:39.93\00:16:42.69
out this
association, I don't know how to
00:16:42.70\00:16:44.31
get out of it. I'm
under peer pressure,
00:16:44.32\00:16:46.14
I need my dad to
help me break away from
00:16:46.15\00:16:49.89
a very difficult and
uncomfortable situation.
00:16:49.90\00:16:53.69
I hope that you'll
hear the cry of your
00:16:53.70\00:16:56.18
young people, it
doesn't always sound
00:16:56.19\00:16:58.97
that way.
Sometimes the cry comes in a
00:16:58.98\00:17:01.59
very different way.
But listen to the cry,
00:17:01.60\00:17:04.80
go to the Lord and
say Lord, help me to
00:17:04.81\00:17:07.39
recognize what
you're asking me to do to
00:17:07.40\00:17:10.13
preserve the family,
to keep that which is
00:17:10.14\00:17:13.05
committed to my
trust. I wanna share a very
00:17:13.06\00:17:16.60
positive
experience, a lady came to me
00:17:16.61\00:17:18.44
after a seminar and she said.
00:17:18.45\00:17:20.29
I've got a question for you.
00:17:20.30\00:17:21.99
She said my son
is seven-years-old
00:17:22.00\00:17:23.71
I wanna know, she
came quite strong.
00:17:23.72\00:17:26.71
She said I wanna
know what you would do
00:17:26.72\00:17:29.95
if you were in my
position? Then I said,
00:17:29.96\00:17:31.94
well then I wanna
make it very clear
00:17:31.95\00:17:34.28
that you wanna
know what I would do in
00:17:34.29\00:17:37.32
your situation
that I'm not telling you
00:17:37.33\00:17:39.73
what you need to do.
But I'll tell you what
00:17:39.74\00:17:42.38
I would do if I
were in this situation.
00:17:42.39\00:17:45.85
So she told me her whole story.
00:17:45.86\00:17:47.35
She said my son
is seven-year-old,
00:17:47.36\00:17:49.58
he's been
involved in a paper route,
00:17:49.59\00:17:52.59
he wants to make
money and that's great.
00:17:52.60\00:17:54.91
He been evolved in
the paper route with
00:17:54.92\00:17:57.30
two older boys
and she said you know
00:17:57.31\00:18:01.36
he comes home and every time
00:18:01.37\00:18:03.32
he comes home
from that delivery.
00:18:03.33\00:18:05.65
It seems like he's
picked up some other
00:18:05.66\00:18:08.33
attitudes that are
not positive and he
00:18:08.34\00:18:11.42
becomes more
resistive and she said
00:18:11.43\00:18:14.27
you know it concerns
me, so what should I do?
00:18:14.28\00:18:17.38
I said well again
I'm not gonna tell you
00:18:17.39\00:18:19.58
what you should do,
but I'll tell you from
00:18:19.59\00:18:21.93
what you've
described to me, if I were in
00:18:21.94\00:18:23.72
your situation I
would pull your son,
00:18:23.73\00:18:27.34
if he was my son. I
pull my seven-year-old
00:18:27.35\00:18:30.26
son off the
paper route tomorrow.
00:18:30.27\00:18:33.14
Oh! She said I knew
you were gonna say that.
00:18:33.15\00:18:37.06
I knew you were gonna say that.
00:18:37.07\00:18:38.96
If I pull him off
the paper route then
00:18:38.97\00:18:41.43
the mother of
those two boys who I know
00:18:41.44\00:18:43.95
is gonna think that
I think my son's better
00:18:43.96\00:18:46.64
than they are and
I'm holier than they all
00:18:46.65\00:18:49.27
and they're
gonna get really upset.
00:18:49.28\00:18:51.21
And she's gonna get upset at me.
00:18:51.22\00:18:52.76
I knew you were gonna say that.
00:18:52.77\00:18:54.20
I said well you
asked what I would do.
00:18:54.21\00:18:57.46
Yes, I know I did
but, but I just knew you
00:18:57.47\00:18:59.95
were gonna say that.
I said well, you know
00:18:59.96\00:19:03.53
I have leave you
with the Lord then to do
00:19:03.54\00:19:05.86
what God is asking you do.
00:19:05.87\00:19:08.11
Well I got a
letter from this lady.
00:19:08.12\00:19:10.90
A few weeks later.
In the first paragraph
00:19:10.91\00:19:14.41
it opened up and
she was telling me
00:19:14.42\00:19:16.03
how upset she was of
what I told her and that,
00:19:16.04\00:19:19.31
that I was telling
her that she had to take
00:19:19.32\00:19:21.02
her son off the
paper route and I thought
00:19:21.03\00:19:22.48
oh Lord, I don't like
these kind of letters.
00:19:22.49\00:19:24.91
But you know the next paragraph
00:19:24.92\00:19:26.96
it all changed. She
said one night I got
00:19:26.97\00:19:30.68
on my knees and I
was under such conviction
00:19:30.69\00:19:32.76
that I just opened
my heart to God and
00:19:32.77\00:19:34.63
I said I realize God
I've been kicking against
00:19:34.64\00:19:37.38
the pricks. It's not
what Tom Waters said,
00:19:37.39\00:19:40.93
its what you've
been trying to tell me,
00:19:40.94\00:19:42.68
Lord, I'm finally
willing, I'll do whatever you
00:19:42.69\00:19:45.01
ask me to do. Just
tell me what should
00:19:45.02\00:19:47.26
I do Lord. Well she
said, the Lord told me
00:19:47.27\00:19:50.80
to take my son
off the paper route.
00:19:50.81\00:19:52.50
She said I did and
she said you know what
00:19:52.51\00:19:55.10
she said in that
letter. She said when I took
00:19:55.11\00:19:58.88
my son off the paper
route the first thing
00:19:58.89\00:20:01.34
he said to me is
thank you mother.
00:20:01.35\00:20:03.43
Thank you for
doing that. I was under
00:20:03.44\00:20:06.91
such a negative
influence and I didn't
00:20:06.92\00:20:09.08
know how to handle
that influence with
00:20:09.09\00:20:10.99
these bigger boys.
Thank you for being
00:20:11.00\00:20:13.71
willing to take me
from that paper route.
00:20:13.72\00:20:16.58
And then she said
can you believe that
00:20:16.59\00:20:19.50
in a few days I got
a call from the mother
00:20:19.51\00:20:22.54
of those two boys
and she said to me
00:20:22.55\00:20:25.06
thank you for
having the courage to make
00:20:25.07\00:20:28.06
the decision that
you made, because now
00:20:28.07\00:20:30.87
I'm gonna start
dealing with my boys,
00:20:30.88\00:20:33.44
because of your
example and being
00:20:33.45\00:20:35.97
willing to do what
you did with your son.
00:20:35.98\00:20:38.68
Well I tell you
that's, that's encouraging.
00:20:38.69\00:20:42.10
We need to
preserve our families.
00:20:42.11\00:20:44.83
God is calling us
to do whatever we need
00:20:44.84\00:20:48.14
to do to preserve our families.
00:20:48.15\00:20:49.91
I ask my young people, what has
00:20:49.92\00:20:54.16
God done in our
family to really preserve
00:20:54.17\00:20:56.92
our family? What
has made the difference?
00:20:56.93\00:20:58.91
And I asked them
each individually
00:20:58.92\00:21:01.23
and separately, so
that there wouldn't
00:21:01.24\00:21:03.23
be any influence.
At the time I asked
00:21:03.24\00:21:05.12
them this
question, my eldest daughter
00:21:05.13\00:21:07.96
who is now 24. I asked her when
00:21:07.97\00:21:10.46
she was 18-years-old,
without any hesitation.
00:21:10.47\00:21:13.36
No, no chance to
think through the
00:21:13.37\00:21:15.32
question. I said I
just wanna get your
00:21:15.33\00:21:17.64
first response.
She said this to me,
00:21:17.65\00:21:19.48
she said you've
used wise sheltering.
00:21:19.49\00:21:24.11
I never heard the term before.
00:21:24.12\00:21:26.44
Wise sheltering.
What, I said Alison,
00:21:26.45\00:21:29.27
what do you mean
by wise sheltering?
00:21:29.28\00:21:31.40
She said you
have sheltered us from
00:21:31.41\00:21:36.11
the bad and you have showered us
00:21:36.12\00:21:40.11
with the good. Oh
my heart just lead
00:21:40.12\00:21:44.13
for joy when I heard this.
00:21:44.14\00:21:45.31
This was not
something that I said
00:21:45.32\00:21:47.40
you know I'm gonna
ask you this question.
00:21:47.41\00:21:49.41
I want you to think
on it for a few days
00:21:49.42\00:21:51.56
and comeback and
give me an answer.
00:21:51.57\00:21:52.88
She came back with
that response in less
00:21:52.89\00:21:56.33
than 30 seconds and I
just praised the Lord,
00:21:56.34\00:21:59.18
because I asked her
right out of the blue.
00:21:59.19\00:22:00.92
What do I mean
by wise sheltering,
00:22:00.93\00:22:04.75
and what did she
mean by wise sheltering?
00:22:04.76\00:22:07.47
Well I wanna
give you an example.
00:22:07.48\00:22:09.00
We had a man in our home.
00:22:09.01\00:22:10.57
First time he'd
ever been in our home
00:22:10.58\00:22:12.76
and we didn't know the man,
00:22:12.77\00:22:16.10
he was there, we
were working through
00:22:16.11\00:22:17.71
some things that
he had some needs
00:22:17.72\00:22:19.60
and he was
sharing with us and he was
00:22:19.61\00:22:23.22
telling a story
that involved our former
00:22:23.23\00:22:28.52
President Bill
Clinton and as he was telling
00:22:28.53\00:22:31.01
a story. He was
becoming very graphic
00:22:31.02\00:22:33.64
and he was talking
about some of the problems
00:22:33.65\00:22:35.97
and some of the moral dilemmas.
00:22:35.98\00:22:38.00
Dilemmas that our
former President was
00:22:38.01\00:22:40.47
involved in. And I
could tell that where
00:22:40.48\00:22:43.21
he was headed.
He was going to say
00:22:43.22\00:22:46.85
something very
graphic that the years of
00:22:46.86\00:22:48.81
my three young
people did not need to hear.
00:22:48.82\00:22:52.03
And the Lord
called to me to stop him.
00:22:52.04\00:22:55.79
Now that's very
embarrassing, that's rude,
00:22:55.80\00:22:58.93
but here he was in
my home, he's beginning
00:22:58.94\00:23:01.75
to head down the
track that I know.
00:23:01.76\00:23:03.39
Not because I'm a mind
reader, but I can tell,
00:23:03.40\00:23:05.10
I can tell exactly
where he was going.
00:23:05.11\00:23:07.12
The Lord called to me, stop him.
00:23:07.13\00:23:09.20
Now here's the question parents.
00:23:09.21\00:23:11.38
Are we gonna honor
God or are we gonna
00:23:11.39\00:23:15.40
try to honor
this person, not make
00:23:15.41\00:23:17.49
them feel bad
and dishonor God and
00:23:17.50\00:23:20.80
bring the approach
upon those that God
00:23:20.81\00:23:23.44
is asking us to
preserve first in your own home.
00:23:23.45\00:23:26.47
Well by faith I
turned to the man and
00:23:26.48\00:23:31.12
I said stop, don't
speak another word.
00:23:31.13\00:23:35.44
You should have
seen the expression
00:23:35.45\00:23:36.78
on his face. I said
can we just step outside
00:23:36.79\00:23:41.12
for a moment. I'd
like to just speak to you.
00:23:41.13\00:23:43.59
I know this is
difficult, this is embarrassing,
00:23:43.60\00:23:46.17
we stepped outside
and I took that man
00:23:46.18\00:23:48.27
for a walk, down
our road, up in the
00:23:48.28\00:23:50.12
mountains. We
walked together and I began
00:23:50.13\00:23:52.81
to tell him what
I had given in order
00:23:52.82\00:23:56.58
to preserve my
family. I told him the
00:23:56.59\00:24:00.36
commitment that I
made to God for my girls
00:24:00.37\00:24:02.66
and for my son. And
you know as I talked
00:24:02.67\00:24:06.31
to that man the
tears began to stream
00:24:06.32\00:24:08.22
down his face. He
said I didn't know.
00:24:08.23\00:24:11.37
I didn't know that
there could be moral
00:24:11.38\00:24:14.09
purity in young
people in this generation.
00:24:14.10\00:24:17.76
He said, praise
God that you stopped me
00:24:17.77\00:24:21.41
from saying
exactly what you knew
00:24:21.42\00:24:23.57
I was gonna say
and to defile the ears
00:24:23.58\00:24:26.44
of your young
people who did not need to
00:24:26.45\00:24:28.55
hear that
filthiness. Thank you for being
00:24:28.56\00:24:33.59
willing to
stand for your family.
00:24:33.60\00:24:35.97
It encourages me.
Well, I ask Emily.
00:24:35.98\00:24:40.05
Emily what, what
is, what is God doing.
00:24:40.06\00:24:44.23
What has he done to
preserve our family.
00:24:44.24\00:24:45.81
And Emily said,
its our communication.
00:24:45.82\00:24:49.30
Emily at that
time was 16-years-old,
00:24:49.31\00:24:51.79
she is 22 now.
It's our communication.
00:24:51.80\00:24:54.19
We've always had communication.
00:24:54.20\00:24:55.78
We can always
come to you no matter
00:24:55.79\00:24:57.46
what it is. No
matter how hard it is.
00:24:57.47\00:24:59.32
No matter what
we've done, we can
00:24:59.33\00:25:00.84
communicate and we
will work through it
00:25:00.85\00:25:03.02
and we will always
find the principles in
00:25:03.03\00:25:06.43
God's word and live
them out practically.
00:25:06.44\00:25:08.89
It's our
communication together that has
00:25:08.90\00:25:12.14
made the
difference the blessing.
00:25:12.15\00:25:14.57
And then I went to
our son. What is it son?
00:25:16.36\00:25:20.23
And at that time
he was 13-years-old,
00:25:20.24\00:25:22.73
he is 19 now. I said what is it?
00:25:22.74\00:25:25.73
He said you have
spend time with us.
00:25:25.74\00:25:29.42
You give us
your time, so that we
00:25:29.43\00:25:32.60
don't desire the
things of the world.
00:25:32.61\00:25:35.82
Parents, I wanna
just encourage you today,
00:25:37.34\00:25:40.23
give time, give
yourself. Give what only you can
00:25:40.24\00:25:48.41
give in Jesus Christ
to reach the hearts of
00:25:48.42\00:25:51.35
your children.
Recently, we were visiting in a
00:25:51.36\00:25:56.07
home and the man
there who was quite,
00:25:56.08\00:25:59.23
well off said you
know, Tom, you're a very,
00:25:59.24\00:26:04.10
very rich man. He
said you have the hearts
00:26:04.11\00:26:08.05
of your children.
You can't put a price on
00:26:08.06\00:26:11.17
that in today's
society. You have the hearts
00:26:11.18\00:26:15.13
of your children.
He said I long to have
00:26:15.14\00:26:17.24
the hearts of my
children. He said
00:26:17.25\00:26:19.82
you're a rich man.
And I tell you friends,
00:26:19.83\00:26:22.28
it will not happen by accident.
00:26:22.29\00:26:24.57
If we're going to
preserve our families
00:26:24.58\00:26:26.88
in Jesus Christ they
must become our first
00:26:26.89\00:26:30.77
mission field.
Whether you're a Christian
00:26:30.78\00:26:33.22
or a non-Christian
if you wanna preserve
00:26:33.23\00:26:35.03
your family, you must take time.
00:26:35.04\00:26:37.79
Time to communicate,
time to give yourself
00:26:37.80\00:26:41.26
to what matters
most, time to work through
00:26:41.27\00:26:44.22
discipline, time
to develop boundaries
00:26:44.23\00:26:48.08
that are
meaningful, boundaries that are
00:26:48.09\00:26:50.15
based on the word of God.
00:26:50.16\00:26:51.54
If we will give
ourselves to our children,
00:26:51.55\00:26:54.20
God will preserve our families.
00:26:54.21\00:26:56.39
God wants to be able
to say to us well done.
00:26:56.40\00:27:00.25
Shall we just ask
God to bless our families
00:27:01.51\00:27:03.62
as we close. Father in heaven,
00:27:03.63\00:27:06.34
we need your
blessing in order to make the
00:27:06.35\00:27:09.40
difference in
preserving our families.
00:27:09.41\00:27:11.12
We do wanna hear
the words well done.
00:27:11.13\00:27:13.67
We want to be there
with our young people
00:27:13.68\00:27:16.63
to enter your
kingdom for eternal life.
00:27:16.64\00:27:18.96
Please give us the
wisdom and understanding
00:27:18.97\00:27:21.91
as parents to know
how to preserve our
00:27:21.92\00:27:24.42
families through
Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
00:27:24.43\00:27:27.92
Oh what a
blessing privilege we have.
00:27:29.80\00:27:31.99
You know the
world may scoff at you.
00:27:33.06\00:27:35.07
Even your church
if you're a church
00:27:36.14\00:27:38.74
attendee. Your
church may scoff at you.
00:27:38.75\00:27:42.20
If you're a non-Christian
today they may call
00:27:42.21\00:27:44.50
you a fool for
doing the things that you
00:27:44.51\00:27:46.84
need to do to
preserve your family,
00:27:46.85\00:27:48.32
but your children
will rise up and call
00:27:48.33\00:27:51.43
you blessed. God bless you
00:27:51.44\00:27:54.10
as you preserve your family.
00:27:54.11\00:27:55.78