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Last week, we considered how people refuse the rest God offers. This message turns to a rest many homes have lost: Proverbs 29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. What happens when parents refuse to correct a child because they cannot bear to displease him? Eli honored his sons above God and failed to restrain them. David never asked Adonijah, "Why hast thou done so?" Adonijah grew up to declare, "I will be king." A child left to himself does not stay little. He grows up expecting his own way - in the home, in marriage, at work, and even before God. Indulgence may feel like love for the moment, but Scripture warns that it can bring shame to parents and danger to a child's soul. We will examine what the Bible says about correction, favoritism, idleness, and the hard task of teaching children to hear "no." Parents must love their children enough to put God first, train them while they are young, and prepare them to receive wisdom rather than demand a throne. Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Proverbs 23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

In the sermon 'The Rod of Discipline' by Justin Miller, the speaker addresses the biblical perspective on discipline, particularly in the context of parenting, using Proverbs 23:12-14 as a foundational text. He explains that discipline, particularly spanking, is seen in modern society as harmful, yet in the biblical context, it is portrayed as a loving and necessary tool to guide children away from spiritual and physical harm. Miller emphasizes that discipline should always be administered in love and not in anger, aligning with God's discipline of His children as described in Hebrews 12. He contrasts contemporary views that depict spanking negatively with biblical teachings that present it as a means of guiding and protecting children. The sermon underscores the importance of coupling discipline with instruction, as outlined in Ephesians 6:1-4, to ensure children are not just morally compliant but also understand the gospel and their need for Christ. Miller warns against raising moralists who outwardly conform but lack internal transformation, advocating for a parenting approach that integrates the law and the gospel. The sermon concludes with the assertion that biblical discipline is a gift to parents, meant to be wielded wisely to nurture children in a manner that reflects a taste of heaven rather than a path to hell.

God cares about how we parent our children. God also cares about children and how they respond to their parents. As Christian parents and children, we need to take our cues from God's Word and not from the world. The Word of God rises above culture to help us understand how we can flourish in our homes for His glory and our good!

Mother's Day is a nice time to remember the gift of your mother. She carried you for nine months, gave birth to you, and then spent years trying to help you to become a good person. Think back to the many times she dried your tears, fed you meals, washed your clothes, and … well … spanked you when you needed it. Your mother was a gift from God designed especially for you. While not all family situations are the same, consider how you can be thankful for the mother God gave you. However, Mother's Day is not always a happy occasion. There are some women who never had the opportunity to have children for a variety of reasons. When everyone else is celebrating the holiday, she is filled with sadness because she was unable to have children. Perhaps you know of someone like that, or you might be someone like that. In today's passage, we will be looking at a woman who was unable to have children and how she responded to her situation.

This sermon presents a biblically grounded defense of loving, disciplined parenting, rooted in Proverbs, Ephesians, and Hebrews, emphasizing that parental correction is not cruelty but an act of profound love and wisdom. It affirms that physical discipline, when administered justly and lovingly, does not harm children but delivers them from destructive paths, fostering wisdom, respect, and moral integrity. The preacher underscores that discipline is not about parental control or emotional reaction, but about training children in the ways of righteousness, with fathers bearing primary responsibility, though mothers are equally involved. Drawing from the example of God's own discipline, the sermon highlights that painful correction is a sign of divine love and holiness, producing lasting fruit of righteousness, and calls parents to persevere with humility, repentance, and faith, modeling the heavenly Father's patient, purposeful, and redemptive discipline.

Dr Neil Stewart's journey through the book of Proverbs lands on "generational child training". Quotes and notes: "We are not just raising children; we are raising the parents of our grandchildren who will then raise our great-granchildren". "Parenting is a multigenerational race". "Look for opportunities to spank. They are God given opportunities to deal with the heart". "There is a seven year window while they are still pliable". "Your children will always give you trouble. Either you will trouble them when they are young, or they will trouble you when they are older. Choose the trouble you prefer" ~JC Ryle

Scripture commands that we nurture our children in the admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4)—but sometimes it just doesn't seem to work. The panel discusses the place of spanking in the training of children, asking: is it not working, or is it just taking longer than you'd like? They talk about teaching vs atonement…rebellion vs immaturity…changing behavior vs changing the heart…and alternatives to spanking that often render it unnecessary.

In this episode of "Faith & Practice," Dr. Pipa and Pastor Groff handle a diverse array of questions pertaining to Christian living, parenting, church architecture, conscience, decision-making, and covenant theology. Questions include: - How should Christians decide when to refuse to work for a customer or employer? - Should we tithe on money we receive as a gift? - Are images of Christ (e.g., in art, textbooks) sinful to look at? How should we understand historical art portraying biblical themes/events? Connected to this, how do we understand nude art, historically? Is it outright sinful? - How should we conduct ourselves in an increasingly hostile world where children can be taken away from parents for spanking and other forms of historically attested disciplinary practices? How do we address disobedience in public settings? In corporate worship? - If a church is in a position to construct a building for worship, would it be a valid use of funds to build something beautiful and lasting? - Regarding the New Covenant prophecy in Jeremiah 31:31-34, I've seen Reformed folks argue for a mixed covenant and say that Jeremiah's "New Covenant" prophecy is the culmination in glory. I've also heard people argue that "the least to the greatest of them" just means all classes of people, not every single individual. What are your thoughts?

Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.