Raise Your Children for God

Sermon: Raise Your Children for God
Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 1:21-2:10

To raise children for God, parents need to understand their relationship with them. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, functions as an example for godly parenting

1. Hannah was a woman of prayer (1:10-20)

(a) She prays privately when everyone else is busy with something else (look at all the play of words)
(b) Her prayer appears to be free from selfishness in which she asks so that she would be able to give

2. Hannah valued service to God (1:21-28)

(a) She does not treat her son as her idol; instead she gives him back to God as a life-long servant (Nasserite)
(b) Though the whole family was involved in the worship at Shiloh, it was Hannah who is the doer/initiator of the service (check the verbs)
(c) She was delighted to dedicate her son to the Lord’s work (check the size of the sacrifice)

3. Hannah knew her faith (2:1-10)

(a) Contrary to singing songs about her son, she sings about Jehovah
(b) The object of Hannah’s delight is neither herself—that she has overcome the disgrace of barrenness—nor her son; instead it is the Lord, who is the source of both her son and her happy circumstance (She did not brag about her goodness and did not get attention to herself)

4. Faith of Timothy’s grandmother and mother had an effect on him (2 Timothy 1:5)

(a) Timothy’s mother and grandmother laid foundation for his “sincere faith” in Jesus
(b) “Sincere faith” of parents have positive result on their children

Takeaway (bringing up children for God is a matter of important stewardship)

(a) Set aside specific time to pray for your children
(b) Do not belittle the service or servants of God
(c) Take time to read the Scripture so that you may be able to educate your children in the Scripture