Building a Godly Home Week 26

We're at the end of page 28, just finishing up chapter 101. Uh, and uh, if you'll turn over there, we're on letter G. And what very important principle did David realize was absolutely necessary for him to walk in a perfect way. In verses 6 and 7, the Bible says, "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me. He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me." Now, by serving doesn't mean that he's going to be my servant and he's going to do all these things for me, but he's going to serve me in my walk with the Lord. He's going to help me in my walk with the Lord.

And then verse 7, he that workketh deceit shall not dwell within my house. He that tells lies shall not tarry in my sight. Uh hold your put a marker in Psalms 101 and go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and:es 33 and 34. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verses 33 and 34. It says, "Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners." And by the word communication, what he means there is the people I hang around with, the people that I uh are I'm close friends with. Uh awake to righteousness sin not. For some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. And and David understood this in Psalms 101.

Who I hang around with, that's going to make me either right or not right with God. They're going to have that influence in my life. And so, I don't want people that tell lies. Uh I don't want people that just work deceit. Uh I I don't want people that are are going the wrong direction. I want to be around people that walk in a perfect way. And And that's the kind of people I want hanging around with me. And and folks, David understood, I need those relationships. If you don't have those relationships in your life, then you're gonna you're not going to make it. You've got to have godly people that you regularly get together with.

This is one of the reasons we're doing these one-on-one Bible studies with the men of the church. And by the way, I'd like to see the ladies do it as well. So, if you're interested in doing a one-on-one Bible study with another lady, talk to me and I'll give you a set of the notes to look at and talk to you about how it works. Uh but this is important that you've got somebody that you're accountable to, somebody that is encouraging you, praying for you, walking with you as you walk in the right way. And you need that. If you don't have people in your home, uh you're missing out on the great opportunity.

You should have people over every month at the very least, if not more often than that. Uh and and and and people to encourage you and then people you can be an encouragement to as well. And uh David understood this is the kind of I I need the right kind of people in my life. I I need the right kind of people are going to walk with me as I walk in the way of the Lord that are going to serve me in the sense that they're going to help me to be the man of God that I should be. And uh he understood that. So the follow example of godly men and godly women. Look at 1 Corinthians chap 11 and verse number one.

Be followers of me even as I also am Christ. So let me ask you a question. Who are you following? Who is a a godly man, a godly woman, a godly couple that you are following in your walk with the Lord? And uh and learning from as you walk in the Lord. Go over to Philippians chapter 4 and look at verse number nine. Philippians chapter 4 and verse number nine. Philippians 4:9. those things which you both learned and received and seen and heard in me heard and seen in me the God do and the God of peace shall be with you and and so you got to have those people that you can say listen this is someone that is going to teach me that I'm going to learn from this is someone that I'm going to uh receive from that I'm going to hear them and and and observe them and and you need to have those kind of people in your life and and so you want to have godly men and godly women that you're following their example and and doing that.

Um I was talking with somebody today about this and and and I've you some of you been around know this illustration, but I think it's so important is that what makes us unique in God's creation is our opposable thumb. That's what allows us to get a grip on things. Without my opposable thumb, I I could not pick up this cup and get a grip on it. And that opposition is important. And you need opposition in your life. Not to fight against you, but to help you to get a grip on life. And you need four kinds of opposition. You're the thumb. You need four kinds of opposition. You need a pointer. You need somebody that's not afraid to get in your face and ask you the tough questions and tell you when you're doing wrong and to hold you accountable.

You need second finger is the biggest finger. You need a patriarch. You need somebody older, wiser, been there, done that. Somebody at least 10 years older than you that you can learn from that can tell you this is what I did right. This is what I did wrong. And this is what I wish I would have done differently and to get that wisdom from them. And then you need the third finger is your ring finger and you need a partner. If you're married, your partner is your spouse. If you're not married, it may be your parents or young people or maybe just asking somebody, would you be my partner and hold me help me in my walk with the Lord?

Um your partner is not your policeman. Uh that's the pointer's job. uh your partner is there to say, "How can I help you to be the person God wants you to be? How can I help you as my husband? How can I help you as my wife? How can I help you as a as somebody concerned about you and cares about you?" And then the littlest finger is your peers. Very rarely do we pick up something with just our little finger. Uh the advantage of the peers is this. They are experienced in life as you are. They are going through the same thing. I you know for example if you got little children I'm not your peer because those are long gone and uh it's been a long time and I've forgotten more more than I learned in some cases.

I can give you the wisdom of what I wish I would have done differently or what I did right and I give you that wisdom but life is different today than it was when my kids were little. And it's good to have your peers where you can go to say listen how are you handling this? How are you dealing with this? How what what's working for you? what's not working for you. Now, remember with peers, they're just as stupid as you are. Uh they have no more life experience. They have no more knowledge than you do. And you don't want to take their word over the patriarch and the pointer, but you can walk together through life and share what's working for you.

And so, you need that. And that's what David is saying. I need those kind of people in my life if I'm going to do what's right. And if you don't have that, you're you're you're behind the eightball. You're going to struggle with this. And then letter number two there, dwell and walk with the godly. Hebrews chap 10 and verses 24 and 25. And let us consider one another, provoke unto love and good works, not forsaking the assemble ourselves together as the manner some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. you know that to to be able to have that fellowship and and coming to church is not fellowship because there's not enough time.

There's too many people. There's too much going on. There's too little time. It's great to have the fellowship of the church body and be with that crowd. But fellowship comes with that one onone relationship. When you get together with other people oneon-one, couple to couple, family to family, that's fellowship. And if you're not doing that regularly, then you're not walking right with the Lord. You need that and you need to get together with other families as well. And then uh number H there, letter H, what is the key word for supply from verse number eight going back to Psalms chapter 101. It says, "I will early destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord."

What's the key word in that verse? Anybody? What do you think is the key word? Look at the verse. What's the key word? Early. Early. It's the word early. Don't wait until you've already passed the exit. God has provided a way to escape. You know what the problem is? We like when you drive down, if you ever driving down the freeway, you realize, "Oh, that's my exit back there." You missed it. You got to do it early. We wait till late until the momentum is already taken over. We wait too long until we've missed the exit and the opportunity to get that victory. We've allowed it to get too much of a stronghold in our life.

We allowed it to get go too far. You've got to deal with it early. And and that's key in in in our walk with the Lord. All right, look at Psalms chapter 63 and verse number one. Psalms chapter 63 and verse number one says, "Oh God, thou art my God, early while I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee. My flesh longing for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is." Early is just a good practice in all areas like devotions, prayer. Um I have an alarm on my phone at 10:00 it goes off and says, "Did you pray today?" And uh because I want to make sure I don't go to bed without praying. But here's the problem.

At 10 o'clock at night, I'm looking at saying, "Oh, I don't want to do this tonight." And to be honest with you, when I do it at 10 o'clock at night, I'm probably a a little less focused on the prayer and not quite all there with it. Uh, so I try to do it earlier on. Uh, today I did it when I walked down to the bank. I did my prayer list. And so, uh, doing it early on is important. Same thing with devotions and and everything else. The early is a good principle. I'm not going to wait till the last minute to seek you God. And then look at 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 13. 1 Corinthians 10:13.

There hath no temptation taken you is common to man. But God is faithful who would not suffer to be tempted above that you are able. But will the temptation also make way escape bear it? But the problem is the escape route was way back here and where are you caught up in it? You you had your opportunity. It's like you watch these floods going on different places and people are being, you know, they're dying and and and what happened is somebody came to says, "Listen, you need to evacuate. You need to get out of here." It's a fire or a flood or whatever. You need to get out of here. And they don't.

And they keep waiting. They keep waiting. By the time they leave, they're surrounded by fire. They're surrounded by water because it's too late to escape. And you got to do it early. You got to find that way to escape and follow that. All right. So, that ends Psalms 101. And so page 29, if you need notes, uh Ricky's got them. Just wave at him and say, "I need notes here." And if you're online, you can download them at ohana.urch live. So let's look at Psalms 127. And uh we'll go ahead and look at that psalm. It says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for he giveth his blood asleep. Lo, children are heirs of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hands of a mighty man, so are children of youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gates. And and so I chose this one next because it kind of ties in with Psalms 100. Remember Psalms 100 was the householders prayer. He said this in my house I'm going to let no wicked thing before mine eyes. I'm going to choose kind of people I'm allow into my home and in my life.

Uh he's saying this is what I've got to do to keep my house right with God. And and here he's specifically talking to the parents and how they can build the right kind of house. And um and so we get specific details here. And so he talks first of all about the builder of the house uh the contractor the builder. Uh go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verses 9 and 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 3:es 9 and 10 says, "For we are laborers together with God. Ye are God's husbandry. Ye are God's building according to the grace which is given unto me as a wise master builder. I have laid the foundation and another build it thereon.

But let every man take heed how he build it thereupon." And he talks about other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid. Building with the right materials as well in the next verse. But he's talking about, you know, if you're going to build, what you need is you need the wise master builder. You need that contractor. Uh I I am handy with my hands. I like to do things, but there's a lot of things I don't know. I don't understand all the the laws and all the permit process and all that. I don't understand how to build some things, right? I need that master builder in my life. And so again, if you want to build a home, you need to have a wise master builder.

You need to have people again going back to that guiding you, helping you with that process as well. And in doing that and so building that that home situation is important. And then and and so in Psalms 127:1, he says, "The Lord build the house." Uh he's not talking about your your physical house, but he's talking about your home. Um you know, you can get a house and not be a home, but you can you you know, you need to have a home, a place of that of refuge, a place where your family can be safe in the Lord as well. And he says, if except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it.

Now, what does the word vain mean? Vain is a we think of vanity. Oh, that guy's vain. He's always looking in the mirror. He's always combing his hair a certain way. That that woman's vanity. She's vain. She's always having all this makeup and all this work done because she's so vain. Uh but that's not what the word in the Bible means. It can it can carry that connotation in some passages. But the word um has a different meaning to it as and let's look at two verses here and then we'll define it. Look at Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and verse number 11. Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and verse number 11. The word vanity is very prominent in the book of Ecclesiastes.

It says, "Then I looked at all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labor that I labored to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sun." He says, "All these things I spent my life doing, building my career, doing all, you know, getting all this stuff, it's all vanity." And then look at um uh 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse number 58. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse number 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abound in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

The word vanity or vain, it means to be empty. It's the idea of a of a bubble. You know, those little bubbles the kids blow and they float around. That's vanity. It's just emptiness. There's nothing there. You pop it and it's gone. And and so many of us in our lives, we labor and we work and we do all this stuff and it's all for vanity. It's all for no reason. And and and so he's saying, "Listen, I if you try to build your house in your own strength, you labor in vain to build it because it's not going to turn out. And and so don't don't do things which are empty. And and so have a plan, have a purpose, have some guidance in your in your building of their of home.

So what is our responsibility? In Philippians chap 2 and:es 12 and 13. Philippians chapter 2 12 and 13. Wherefore, as my beloved, as you've always not as my presence only, but how now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For as God would work within you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, you need to put your work into the process. You know, if you ever seen these habitats for humanity where they build houses for people, uh the people have to put in the sweat labor, but there's contractors and builders and carpenters that will come in and they will help them to build that house, but the people have to put that effort in themselves.

It's like in this series on the kings I've talked about there was one king who strengthened himself in the Lord. But later on it talks about he strengthened himself in the work. You got to put the work into there. You got to work out your salvation. You don't work for it but you work it out in your life. And you've got to put that effort and that work into it. Look at Psalms 128. Look at verse number two. For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands. Happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee. You know, we pray for our food and thank God for food. Now, I don't know about you, but I worked hard to get the paycheck so I could go out and buy that food and and and put it on the table.

But ultimately, it's from God. But God doesn't want to just sit there and say, "God, give me the food." It's not a welfare system. And and and God has to be the one working in you. You can't do without him. It's like the the the idea of Philippians 2:12 and 13 is like putting using a vacuum cleaner without plugging it in. It's not going to do anything that and and that's the onsay person. But you can plug that vacuum cleaner, but if you don't turn it on, just run it back and forth across the floor, it's not going to accomplish anything either. You got to turn it on as well. And so Christians have the power of God.

You got the plug like the plug in the wall, but you got but you got to do more than just plug into that power. You got to use that power. And but that vacuum doesn't do it by itself. You got to grab hold of that handle and do the work. And and that's what we got to realize that that God ultimately builds a house. We can't do it without him, but we got to put the work and the labor in as well. Um and then look at Psalms 128 5 and 6. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion. Thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yay, thou shalt see the ch thy children's children and peace upon Israel.

You know, it takes a home to build a community. You know, you know, you've heard the saying, it takes a village to build a child, but it takes a home to build a community. And and I do believe, you know, the liberals use that that idea, it takes a village to to raise a child. I think at the wrong sense and that it's not, you know, the the village has more authority than the parents do. And they were seeing that in our our political system. The the school knows better than you as a parent for your children. And so they think they can do things without checking with you, without your permission. And and we don't believe that at all.

But we need all of these resources to help us to raise our children. And you need to build some good resources. But understand, it's ultimately not their responsibility. one of the biggest failures of Christian education and Christian education I believe in Christian education but overall it's failed and why it's failed is because we've we've kind of come across as the idea put your kids in a Christian school and they'll take care of making them turn out that is not the Christian school's job and some times we've seen kids turn out better in public schools than in Christian schools because when they're in public school at least the parents know I've got to teach them godly thinks I've got to counteract what they're learning at public school.

And uh we need to understand that we have that responsibility. But you know, you whatever school you send them to, whether it's Christian, homeschool, or public school, you still got the responsibility involved. It's not just homeschool you got to be involved in. In fact, I think in some ways you got to be more involved when you send them out to school, whether it's Christian or public school. And you got that responsibility. You know, the church is not responsible. I think having your kids in church is a big game changer. It can ch can really influence your children, but not if you're not doing it at home.

They can't come to church and hear one thing and see some different home. So you you you got to understand that there is a community that helps you build your family and you got to have all these people coming in, but ultimately you're the one this is your home and you got to build it, but not in your own strength and your own power. you got to build it in the Lord. So to keep what you build um you know is a labor in vain and uh and and you don't want it to be that way. And so how are we going to keep what we built? It you know it says about except the Lord keep the city the watchman wicked but in vain.

So what was the watchman's responsibility? Go over to Ezekiel Ezekiel chapter 33. and verses 1-9 again the word of the Lord came unto me saying son of man speak to the children of thy people and say unto them when I bring the sword upon a land if the people of the land take a man of their co coast and set him for their watchmen if when he seeth the sword come upon the land he blow the trumpet and warn the people then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and take not warning if the sword come and take him away his blood shall be upon his own head he heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning, his blood shall be upon him.

But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchmen see the sword coming, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come and take any person from among them, he has taken away in their iniquity, but his blood will I require the watchman's hand. So thou, oh son of man, I have set thee a watchman upon the out of the house of Israel. Therefore, thou shalt tear hear the word of my mouth and warn them from from me. When I say unto the wicked, oh wicked man, thou shalt surely die if thou does not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity.

But his blood will require thine hand. Nevertheless, that thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it. If he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast shall deliver thy soul. And and you know, I'm teaching right now a Sunday school class on child training. And you know what frustrates me is there's some that are not in that class that really need to be in that class. And it's like, you know, I'm I've got it here. It's now your responsibility to come. But it's also your responsibility to put in practice. Now, you don't have to do everything I say, but you need to take this stuff and say, "What are we going to do?

And how are we going to apply it?" And and and you got to be that watchman. and and and listen to the watchmen and uh when he when he warns you of what's going to come and in that way. So verse number two tells us that worrying does not accomplish anything. It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows for he giveth his beloved sleep. You know so worrying about it isn't getting up early in the morning worrying about it. Getting up stay up late at night worrying that that does not accomplish anything. you you've got to do do more than that. Um, so what should I do when I wake up early or I can't sleep at night?

Go over to Psalms 119 verses 147 and 148. Psalms 119, 147, and 148. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cried. I hoped in thy word. In other words, he woke up before the sun where I even rose. And verse 148, mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate thy word. I'm up so late. The night man is going around already at that point. Um, and what does he do when he's up early and he's he's staying up late? He says, "I want to meditate on the word of God." That's when you need to pray. If if you're not spending time praying for your family, then you're you're it's all vanity. That's when you spend time in the word of God.

That's when you spend time learning what I need to do. And and it's vanity without doing that. And um and then look at Proverbs chapter 3 and verse number 24. Proverbs 3:24. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Ye that shall lie down and I sleep shall be sweet. Um you know when you sleep, it means you're you're you feel safe. You feel confident and you you sleep you you you know things are okay. And that's why you should lay your head on a pillow at night to know that I've done the right thing by my family. I I've done the right thing by the Lord and and I've completed that because it's not doing you good to sit around and worry.

You can worry about how my kids going to turn out, what's going to happen to them, and all the rest of it. That's not going to do anything. What's going to do something is to put into practice what you're learning to get in there, put the work in there. And listen, folks, it is work. I'm talking right now in my Sunday school class about punishment and discipline. And both of those take a lot of work to do it right. You know, the the lazy way to do is yell at your kids and tell them 10 times, are I'm not going to tell you again. That's the lazy way. But it takes work to get up, go discipline your kids to do it correctly, to do it right, and to follow through and be consistent.

That's a lot of work. And you be need be ready to put that work into. All right. And then going back to Psalms 127, he talks about building a house. Then he changes his his illustration to being a farmer. Verse number three. Lo children are inherited of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Okay? So he's talking about being a farmer. And he goes through that same illustration in Psalms 128:es 1-4. Blessed is everyone that fearth the Lord, that walketh his ways, for thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands. Happy shalt thou be and shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house.

Thy children like olive plants around the table round about the table. Therefore, behold that thou dost say shall the man be blessed that fearth the Lord. And so God's saying, listen, you're you're a farmer and you got to have that patience and tenacity to to raise that crop for the Lord. And it's a it is a is a job that you have to be do you have to do. Uh look at Psalms chapter 127 and verse number three again. Okay. So verse three it says lo children are heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is reward. So what do we want our children inherit from us? See children are your heritage. And when you have a heritage you're giving an inheritance.

And so when my children are grown up what do I want them to for me? The problem with a lot of us is our children inherit the worst of us because they're half of us. And so if you struggle with something, you got to figure there's a 50% chance your kids are going to struggle with the same thing. Not only genetically, but because they've observed this their whole growing up years. And so you that's why the Bible talks about the fathers that the the fathers need to conf that that you need to confess the iniquities of your fathers is as a father you need to go to your children say listen I struggle with this and you are half of me and so you can struggle with these same things and I don't want you to inherit the bad from me.

And I don't want you to struggle with the same things that I struggled with. And so my job is to help you to overcome this now in your early years before it becomes a habit before you build these things and have to suffer with the memories and the the trauma of that as well. And so it's it's changing the inheritance of your children. And uh and they're also going to inherit half of what's good about you. And and so you want to help them develop that and to become better in that way. And then and then part of it is also uh you know it says train up a child the way she goes when he is old and not depart from it.

The idea of the word train is to is the idea of it's like a bonsai tree. You have to work with the bend of the child and the way he should go and and you have to every child's got a different bend to them and some are more you know more defiant some are less so in that way more compliant. And by the way, the compliant ones, they're the most dangerous ones because they they hold it in and they they're all good and then they get to be an adult and they they go off the deep end. Uh and and you got to be careful of that. And sometimes they can be more the the defiant ones, you work with them more because they're the troublemakers.

When I was principal of Christian schools, one of the things I noticed the the troublemakers got most of the teachers times and the good kids didn't get the time. And that and I had talked to my teacher about that. I want you to help the troublemakers, but they cannot take you away from helping the the kids that are doing good to help them to continue doing good. And and so you got to give a heritage to your children. That is something that is great. And then that will be a heritage for you because you get to enjoy the the fruits of that later on as they're adults and you got grandkids and they're there to help you and support you.

One of the blessings of Saturday when I passed out is not a lot of blessings to that, but one of them was that my son Caleb called me the next day and said, "Dad, I want to keep you around." He said, "I've worked hard to have a good relationship with you, and I want you here, and I want you here for my your grandkids." And and and that was that was great to hear that. That's what you want. And you want that heritage, but it doesn't happen automatically. You got to build that heritage. And uh and so how you know having a godly heritage. In 2 Timothy chapter 1, Paul refers to uh Timothy's mother and his grandmother as godly women.

And he said, "Listen, Timothy, you that's what you got." And uh and and it's important. You see, when my class again, what I talked about is you got to take your kid from obedience to honor to respect. Obedience is what you get them to do because you're bigger than they are. And here's the problem. is all you if all you've gotten to do is gotten to do is obey you. At some point they're going to decide I can take you on. At some point they're going to decide I don't have to obey you anymore and and you're not going to be able to continue that. They've got to get to the point where they honor your position.

Why should you obey me? Because I'm your dad. Because I'm your mom and and God says you should obey me. And then you want to get to the point they respect you. Because as teenagers and especially as young adults and adults uh if they don't respect you and respect honor obedience can be demanded honor can be taught but respect has to be earned and you got to earn that respect uh from your children. And so it's important that we earn the respect and Paul could say Timothy I know you respect your mom. I know you respect your grandma and that's the kind of person I want you to be as well. And then uh Ezekiel chapter 18.

This kind of goes back to what I was talking about. So let's go ahead and go reread that passage. Ezekiel 18 and verses four and five. Ezekiel 18. Verses four and five. Behold, all souls are mine. The as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sinnth, it shall die. But if a man be just and do that which is lawful and right. And then skip down to verse number nine. Hath walked in my statutes and kept my judgments to deal truly. He is just, he shall surely live, sayeth the Lord God. And then go down to verse number 14. Now to lo, if he begat a son that seeth all his father's sins, which he hath done, and considerth and does doeth not such like.

And then look at verse 17. says, "That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usery nor increased, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes, you shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live." And then verses 19- 22, as for his father, because he cruy oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did not that which is did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. Yet say ye, why do not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and done them which he shall live surely live.

The soul that sinnth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the fathers, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the sons. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that heath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. All his transgressions that he committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him. In his righteousness that he had done, he shall live. Now, and uh I don't have the TV cloud. There it is over there.

7:40. Okay. But the point is we're saying when the father does wrong, the child can make a decision to change the next generation. I I did that with my dad. My dad was an alcoholic. He was abusive. He divorced my mom. I I looked at that. I said, "That's not where I want to go." And and I made a decision. I'm going to change the next generation. And I'm not going to go on that same path. Now, I still inherited who he was. I struggle with not alcoholic, but I'm a holic. I I get addicted to other things and I struggle with that and and I have to realize that and and deal with that because I'm half of my father.

But I made decision that I'm not going to continue down that path and and and made that change. And God said that he will honor that is you got to make that decision. But you know what? Don't put your children in that position. and and you be the one to repent. And and it's never too late to do that. Say, you know what? I've been a lousy dad. I've been a lousy mom. But that's going to change today. And and and confess it to God. Confess it to your children. Get it right. Warn them. This is what I struggle with and I know you're going to struggle with it as well. And I want to change that next generation.

So, how about we work together to make that happen? and and doing that. Um, you've got, you know, don't let your sin keep you from being honest with your children enough to help them to not follow that same path. I remember reading a story about a boy who had gotten bad grades in his science. And so, he went up in the attic and found one of his dad's old report cards and came to his dad and said, "Dad, here's my report card and here's one of yours from that same age." And his dad looked at that and his grades were no better than his son's grades. and he said, "Son, I'm going to give you exactly what my dad gave me when I brought that report card home.

Uh, you know, it's not an excuse. You know, you have a choice to make a difference here, but you know, that dad should have realized this son may struggle with science. So, how can I help him to do better than I did in school and not wait until that point?" And and so it's important that we see that that uh we change that next generation that we're the watchmen to warn them that we are tell them this is what's going to come and you're going to struggle with these things. I did and God's given me victory and God can help you to have the victory as well. And then um do your children call you blessed?

Uh going back to Psalms uh 128 and uh look at verse number one. Blessed is everyone that fearth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. And then um and look at Proverbs chapter 31 and verse number 28. Proverbs chapter 31 and verse 28. Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also he praisth her. So would your children call you blessed? That's an important question to ask. Um and and we'll talk about how that works next week as we go into the next part of the lesson as