[Biblemat] A>Lessons On The Home (Kent Heaton)

[kerux]

Lessons On The Home

(Kent Heaton)

 

The home is the foundation of life. Whether we come from a rich or poor background the home is where we all begin. Many homes today are dysfunctional and in disarray. Marriages are destroyed, children neglected and the elderly abused. Television talk shows thrive on the chaos the people find themselves. The news is filled with violence through spousal abuse, abandonment, immorality, perversion - all direct attacks against the sanctity of the home. 

Honest people are looking for answers. Desperate homes are seeking guidance to bring order and happiness to life. Children are crying out for security and comfort. Elderly want to enjoy their final days with dignity. Where can we find the answers that work? There are thousands of books written that try to answer these questions. Men have spent centuries examining these same issues time and time again to no avail. Is there a source that all these challenges can be met and the home can be a place of enjoyment and peace? The answer can only be found in the book we call the Bible. 

The Bible is a book written by Him who created man and woman. We did not evolve from some slime to rise from the pits of evolution as an animal. Jehovah God made us in His image to bear His image. He wants man and woman to find happiness in the home. His plan is secure for children to find warmth and sanctuary within the arms of their parents. The elderly are blessed by children who nurture and care for their needs. These answers are found in God's word. 

Husbands are exhorted to love their wives in the manner that Jesus Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25). This union is found in the home as one of loving the wife, nourishing and cherishing her (v29) and caring for her needs as his own life. Wives find the beauty of marriage from a man who is devoted to her life and is willing to subject her life to his tender care (vv22,23) and respecting him (v33). Children are obedient to parents in respect and honor in accordance with the plan of God (Ephesians 6:1-3). This respect is brought about by the leadership of the father who does not provoke his children to be angry but rather brings "them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). 

The elderly are respected and treated with dignity. Honoring mother and father (Ephesians 6:1) does not apply only to small children but grown children with aged parents. Their needs must be taken care of and the respect due them should be always given. Paul reminded young Timothy to respect and honor the elderly - no matter if they were parents or not: "Do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father; treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity. Honor widows who are real widows" (1 Timothy 5:1-3). There are many children who need to learn this of their own parents.

The home can be filled with happiness and joy. It must be a place that a husband and wife can find romance, love, security and each other to fulfill the joy designed by God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2). The home can be a place that children long to be a part of and the family unit shares together in the joys and sorrows of life. Elderly parents can live in the peace and security their children will love them in every way. 

With these exhortations in mind, the Trenton Church of Christ would invite you to be part of a series of lessons designed to challenge our hearts to find the joy God intended the home to be. Beginning Sunday, September 9th, a series of lessons on the home will be given by Steve Belue from Pensacola, Florida. Bring your Bibles and bring your families as we learn more about the home as God intended it to be. Services will be at 7:30pm each night. You will receive a warm welcome. Come learn about the HOME.


Kent Heaton
207 NE Fourth Avenue
Trenton, Florida  32693
(Home) 352-463-6916
(Office) 352-463-3793
(Cell) 352-283-3889
kerux at bellsouth.net
www.trentonchurchofchrist.com
www.northfloridabiblecamp.com
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