Raising Wise Children: Honor Parents, Discipline, Teach Faith

My heart was stirred by the goodness of God and the faithfulness of this house, and I turned our attention to the crisis and the calling right inside our homes. From Proverbs 30, I named the marks of a wayward generation—children who curse father and won’t bless mother, who are pure in their own eyes but unwashed, lofty in appetite yet empty in gratitude, sharp-tongued yet dull-hearted. I pleaded with our young people: you will never be blessed despising your parents; the world will not spare you; death and judgment are real, and rebellion always costs more than you intend to pay.

I called parents, especially fathers, to stand back up. We cannot outsource formation to iPads, schools, youth pastors, or culture. The “rod and reproof give wisdom,” and that work is ours. Discipline must be early, steady, and loving—training a child to hear “hush” and “sit,” not because we’re harsh, but because order safeguards their life. A wise heart receives correction; a foolish one can take a hundred stripes and stay unchanged.

To the brothers: be men. Don’t create life you refuse to cover. Stop calling lust “the Lord’s leading.” To our sisters: a baby won’t secure a man’s character. Let’s build whole homes—marriages strengthened, children shepherded, and parents unified so manipulation dies at the door. Our best gift to the church is a clean, steady house where we live the gospel we profess.

I warned us from 1 Samuel 15: rebellion isn’t edgy—it’s witchcraft. Stubbornness is idolatry because self sits on the throne. Many curses we fear from others we’ve invited by our own disobedience. Jeremiah 4:22 describes children “wise to do evil” but clueless in good; so I urged us to cultivate appetites for Scripture, prayer, learning, and obedience. Finally, I urged repentance now. Roots harden with age, and tomorrow isn’t promised. Hell is no myth; gravity doesn’t wait for belief. Let’s cry out for mercy, fight for our families, and lead our children into life in Jesus.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Honor parents; rebellion reaps ruin. Honoring father and mother isn’t a cultural relic; it’s a spiritual law woven into how blessing flows. When a child rejects parental authority, they step outside God’s covering and into consequences they can’t control. Ignoring correction hardens the neck and closes the door to remedies later. Choose humility now so God can lift you later. [18:13]
• 2. Parents, reclaim your spiritual authority. God did not assign screens, schools, or the church to do your job. Reproof and presence shape a soul; abdication hands children to a world eager to catechize them. Fathers, your voice sets trajectories—show your sons manhood and your daughters their worth. Live it at home so your words carry weight. [18:38]
• 3. Discipline wisely, early, consistently. The rod and reproof give wisdom when applied with love and clarity. Start training when they’re little—teach “hush,” “sit,” and “no”—because self-control learned early becomes safety later. Correction should aim at the heart, not just behavior, so that fewer stripes are needed over time. A wise child learns from a word; a fool won’t learn from a hundred. [19:24]
• 4. Rebellion is self-inflicted witchcraft. Disobedience doesn’t need a hex to wreck your life; it carries its own curse. Stubbornness enthrones self, and when self is god, everything else becomes disposable—including your future. Repentance dethrones self and restores order, authority, and peace. Don’t spiritualize your way around it—obey. [35:02]
• 5. Be wise to do good, not evil. Many can navigate secret browsers and gossip circles, yet stumble over prayer, study, and integrity. Train your mind to love the right things—Scripture, truth, diligence—and your life will follow your loves. Wisdom is not speed in sin but skill in righteousness. Seek understanding now; judgment doesn’t wait for maturity. [38:50]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:36] - Memory lane praise and gratitude
• [02:06] - Community engagements and lifting Jesus
• [03:39] - Turning attention to our young people
• [04:38] - The greatest gift: keep your house right
• [05:42] - Prayer and turning to Proverbs 30
• [07:05] - A generation that dishonors parents
• [09:22] - Don’t let your kids play you
• [11:03] - Nothing new under the sun
• [12:33] - Lofty eyes, endless appetites
• [15:21] - Four things never satisfied; life is fragile
• [18:38] - Parents, take responsibility back
• [19:24] - The rod, reproof, and real wisdom
• [23:47] - God’s order in the home
• [26:13] - Reproof vs. stripes: training hearts
• [31:50] - Destroyed without remedy: heed correction
• [35:02] - Rebellion is witchcraft; stubbornness idolatry
• [37:49] - Wise to do evil; ignorant of good
• [44:37] - Model holiness at home
• [46:07] - Death, judgment, and urgency to repent
• [49:57] - Praying over our children and families
• [51:26] - Mercy for this generation and closing prayer

1. Proverbs 30 lists several marks of a wayward generation (they “curse their father,” are “pure in their own eyes,” have “lofty eyes,” “teeth as swords,” etc.). Which two of these marks are most obvious in families you know, and what concrete behaviors show them? [07:45]
2. The passage uses vivid images (lofty eyes, devouring teeth, the leech that still cries “Give”). How do those images describe both appetite and entitlement in a household? Give a short example from real life. [13:32]
3. Verse 17 warns that the one who mocks father and refuses mother will suffer dire consequences (“the ravens… pick it out”). What consequences does the passage and the talk connect to dishonoring parents, and why are those consequences presented so starkly? [16:52]
4. Proverbs 29:15 and Proverbs 17:10 contrast “the rod and reproof” with many stripes. According to those verses, what is the difference between early, wise correction and repeated harsh punishment? [26:13]

1. How should the description of a “generation” in Proverbs 30 be understood when applied to present family life—is it describing cultural trends, individual hearts, or both? What does that mean for diagnosing problems at home? [07:45]
2. 1 Samuel 15:23 equates rebellion with witchcraft and calls stubbornness idolatry. What is the theological logic behind calling rebellion “idolatry,” and how does that change the way one thinks about disciplining a child or confronting a rebellious adult? [35:02]
3. Proverbs 29:15 teaches that “the rod and reproof give wisdom.” How should parents reconcile the call to loving correction with the call elsewhere to gentleness and not provoking children? What does “reproof” aim to do to the child’s heart? [19:24]
4. Jeremiah 4:22 says people can be “wise to do evil” but ignorant of good. What does this paradox reveal about the kinds of training children need (skills, appetites, mentors), not just punishment? [37:49]

1. Honor toward parents channels blessing. Name one specific way you will show honor to a parent (or, if you are a parent, how you will model honor) this week. What exact words or action will you use? [17:55]
2. Reclaiming formation at home requires rules and rhythms. If screens, tablets, or outside influences are shaping your children more than you are, what one practical rule will you implement this week (example: screen curfew, a family device basket, 15 minutes of shared Bible at dinner)? Who will help you keep it? [19:24]
3. For fathers and men: identify one concrete action you will take in the next seven days to “stand up” in your household (be present at a meal, lead a short family devotion, attend a school meeting, set a clear boundary). What will success look like? [20:44]
4. If someone carries patterns of secret sin or open rebellion, what immediate step toward repentance will that person take this week (confess to a trusted believer, begin daily Scripture and prayer, meet with a mentor)? Who will be the accountability partner? [46:07]
5. For young people who are “wise to do evil” but not to do good: create a simple 14‑day plan to increase appetite for Scripture and prayer (for example: read one short Psalm each morning, join a small group once this week, text a mentor once a day about what was read). What will you start tomorrow? [38:50]
6. Couples — model gospel unity so discipline is consistent. Name one household rule you and your spouse will agree on this month (shared consequences, unified bedtime, a single set of phone rules) and how you will present it together to your children. [40:47]
7. Parents: what is one early-training phrase you will teach and insist on immediately (examples: “hush,” “sit,” “no,” “thank you”)? When during the day will you practice it, and how will you enforce it lovingly but firmly? [19:24]