Faith Walk

Trey Graham: You should make goals for your family, and you should write them on a list. When you write them on a list, put them on a piece of paper and write them all the way down, and then go to the top of the page and put find a place for the Lord.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Faith Walk with Trey Graham.

Guest (Male): You wonder what the Bible says about raising families in this culture? How can our loved ones trust God and honor him when we face struggles and disappointments? Today, pastor Trey Graham continues the message series titled Built to Last, God's design for family. Please email radio@firstmelissa.com to let us know how these Bible teachings have been an encouragement to you. And as our faithful listeners, please visit firstmelissa.com today and click on the give tab to partner with our radio ministry financially. Don't forget to subscribe to the Faith Walk with Trey Graham podcast. It's on Spotify. We pray that today's message will deepen your knowledge of God's word and encourage you as a follower of the Savior.

Now, let's study the Bible with our teacher, pastor Trey Graham.

Trey Graham: So, how about the important things of life teaching which requires attention? It requires boundaries. This is what's right and this is what's wrong. Why? Cuz everybody wants to be included. But ladies and gentlemen, there are some things that our kids should not know about. And ladies and gentlemen, there are some things that we as adults should not know about. Some movies and some punchlines to jokes that we shouldn't be familiar with. Boundaries. And all of those things take time, which is why on the next slide, something I've been sharing with you for 20 years. Building a God-honoring household requires time, t i m e, and here's how we've defined it for all these years.

Tenderness, initiative, moral standards, and expectations. Tenderness. Hey, I know this is hard. Hey, I know this hurts. Hey, I know this is not fun sometimes. Tenderness. Initiative. Somebody has to say this is the way we are going. This is the path we're on. Moral standards, again, those boundaries that we talked about. And expectations. I'm sure you ask all of our kids if I have set high expectations for them, and the answer is yes. Why? Cuz I want them to be exactly who God wants them to be and be as great as God wants them to be.

And sometimes there's a little push involved in that. That's what I want for my kids, but that's what I want for you. Sometimes there's a little push involved. So, to build a God-honoring household, the next item on our list, seek wisdom and understanding with tender discipline. Help us to stay on the right path. The next verse is Proverbs 24 number four. By knowledge, the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. What are we filling our house with? Or to say it a different way, as a family, what are we thinking about? What are we thinking about?

Cuz everybody has topics of conversation at the dinner table or when you're in the car. What are we thinking about? What are we focusing on? The apostle Paul, Romans 12 says, I urge you therefore by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Give yourself to the Lord as a sacrifice. I think it's okay. I think the apostle Paul might agree if you said to present your families. Your household is a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. What are we thinking about as a family? What is on our minds? Always, she got stuff to do. You got to go to the grocery store and you got to pay bills and you got to do homework and you got to do this and you got to have a meeting and you got to have a this. There's always earthly stuff you got to do, but is there anything spiritual on our minds?

That's why Colossians 3 set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. So, how do we live this out? We got three steps for you right here. Renew your mind, be Christlike, be discerning. How do you renew your mind? You keep putting godliness in. You keep putting the scriptures in. To be Christlike, to imitate Jesus. What would Jesus do in this situation? Be discerning. Is what the culture telling me right or is it not? Be discerning. So, on our list to build a God-honoring household, seek knowledge of real and edifying topics.

Again, there's things that are topics of conversation in your office or your neighborhood or your sports team, your school that are not edifying. They're not godly. And if you don't know about them, that's actually better for you. Well, I feel left out. Well, be left out. Godly. What are we putting in our brains? The next verse is 24 verse five. A wise man is strong and a man of knowledge increases power. So, now what we're going to talk about is building spiritual muscles in your family. How do you get to be spiritually strong, spiritually powerful?

Well, the world says power. The world says strength is what? Make sure you defeat them. You're better than them. You show them. But what is biblical strength? What is spiritual power? Couple of verses. Apostle Paul, Ephesians 4 I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Humility, gentleness, patience. That's not earthly strength. That appears to be earthly weakness. But that's spiritual strength.

Galatians 6 Bear one another's burdens and therefore fulfill the law of Christ. Bear one another's burdens. We talk about that with your neighbors and your fellow church members and praying for one another and this is what we want to do is to pray with you and to pray for you, to bear one another's burdens, but it ought to start in our own house. You tell tell your spouse, I know this is hard. Tell your kids, I know this is hard. And maybe I can't take it away from you, but maybe I'll just carry it with you.

Because two are stronger than one. Colossians 3 Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other. As the Lord forgave you beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. This is how you build spiritual muscles. Because having a God-honoring life, a God-honoring family is not for wimpy people. It's not for weaklings. Weaklings just go along with the world. Strong people stand up for what is right. So, how do you do this? Next item on our list to build a God-honoring household, demonstrate humility, patience, forgiveness and love.

Couple more verses. Proverbs 24 number six. For by wise guidance you will wage war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. Ladies and gentlemen, you live in a spiritual war. Read your news. Read your social media. Pay attention to what's happening in our culture. We live in a spiritual war. So, here's the first statement. Building a God-honoring household today requires fighting against the values of this culture. Psalm 144 Blessed be the Lord my rock who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. My loving kindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.

The rock, remember the rock that is the foundation, the rock who is the Lord, the rock who is the one building our house on the rock. He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. What kind of battle are we talking about? A battle for our hearts and our minds. A battle for the next generation. A battle for our families. So, building a God-honoring household today requires fighting against the values of the culture, but not abandoning the culture. Jesus prayed in John 17 to the heavenly Father, I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. Who is they and who is them, by the way? Us. It is very very hard for me to shine the light of Jesus in the world when I am hiding under a blanket somewhere. We can't abandon the culture. We just have to stand up against the culture and reflect Jesus in the middle of it. So, it says at the bottom, to raise God-honoring children, parents who love Jesus must model lives that follow and reflect Jesus in the world while not being conformed to the world.

This is how you raise godly children in this culture. You say, well, how do you do this? How do you fight a battle? Well, the apostle Paul wrote something very famous in Ephesians chapter 6. He said, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood. If you're a follower of Jesus, your struggle is not against Hollywood. It's not against Congress, the White House, the news media, social media.

It's not against anybody at your school or your work. Your struggle is against spiritual forces. Rulers, powers, world forces of darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. That's who we fight. Doesn't matter who's in office. It doesn't matter who's on TV.

Guest (Male): Are you looking for a church family that cares about helping people meet Jesus? Do you want to grow and serve with other believers who love God's word? If pastor Trey's Bible lessons on Faith Walk are a blessing to you, you can experience his teaching in person along with powerful praise and worship music when you attend First Melissa Church on Sunday morning. You're invited to worship with us at 9:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. each Sunday. Go to firstmelissa.com to plan your visit. We'd love to have you join our church family this Sunday at First Melissa.

Trey Graham: This is a spiritual battle. Well, how do you get through a spiritual battle? Take up the full armor of God, meaning all of the items, not just a few, so that you would be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm. Stand firm therefore. And then he goes through the items in the list. Having girded your loins with truth. It's called the belt of truth because for a Roman soldier, everything starts with the belt. Your sword hangs on your belt. Your breastplate is attached to your belt. If you lose the belt, you're out as a soldier.

If you lose truth, then there is no way to combat against the lies. The belt of truth. Put on the breastplate of righteousness. What protects my heart? Surrounding myself with godliness. Choosing godliness. Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Where am I going in the world? Where are my feet taking me to share the gospel? Taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one, the flaming arrows. See what the shield does is it blocks the arrows. But it doesn't stop the arrows from coming.

Which is why I can't ever be without my faith because then I got no defense against the arrows which will keep coming. Take the helmet of salvation. This is apostle Paul, Ephesians 6. What was apostle Paul, Romans 12? The renewing of our minds. The helmet of salvation. Has my mind changed since I became a follower of Jesus? It should have. And the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and every Bible teacher in the world will tell you that all of those items are defensive except one offensive weapon. And what is it?

It says the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. So, your strength, your energy, your opinion, your ability is not offensive. It's not going to work. The only offensive weapon is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, which is why in the wilderness when Jesus was tempted, every time he resisted the devil, he began with three words. What were they? It is written. We're in a spiritual battle. So, next item on our list to build a God-honoring household, be prepared to fight spiritual battles with a spiritual army around you.

When we say we want to pray with you and pray for you, it's because we want to be part of your spiritual army. And if you join our 24/7 group of praying people, we're trying to fill up the whole 24/7 clock with people, it's because you can join the army to pray for other people also. Couple more verses left. Proverbs 24 number seven. Wisdom is too exalted for a fool. He does not open his mouth in the gate. The Bible talks about wise people and foolish people. And a fool in the Bible has nothing to do with IQ.

It's not about intellect. It's about arrogance and pride and selfishness and stubbornness. Wisdom is too exalted for a fool. If all I care about is me and my way, then I don't have spiritual wisdom. And it says he does not open his mouth in the gate. In the gate, that has to do with the city gates in the ancient days, in the days of the Bible. The city gate is where all the conversations took place, the meetings, the business, the town square, the coffee shop of the world. This is in the gates. This is where judgments were made, court cases were held.

This is where wise people would give wisdom, but if you're a fool only focused on me, then I have nothing to help you with. There's no benefit to you. So, our next item on our list to build a God-honoring household, listen, learn and speak truth. We're going to have a lot teachings in this series and I'm sure we're going to talk about husbands and wives and communication and dealing with conflict along the way. So, I'm sure I'll tell you then, but I'll just go ahead and tell you now. Most of the time when we're having a conversation, we're not actually listening.

We're just waiting for you to get done so I can get mine in there. If you'll hurry up, I got something good to say. We're not listening and therefore we're not learning. Listen, learn and speak truth. Two more verses. Proverbs 24 8 and 9 One who plans to do evil men will call a schemer. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men. We asked about who are the role models for my family? How about this question? What are the goals for my family? I know you have them. Some of you have written them down.

Some of it's only in your head. But I know you have goals for your family, goals for your kids, goals for your business or your marriage or your health or whatever. You have goals. And then you create action plans to achieve the goals. Well, here's more Proverbs chapter 3, chapter 12, chapter 14 Do not devise harm against your neighbor. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil. Will they not go astray who devise evil? What is evil? Well, it seeks to hurt others or defeat others or impress them or overpower them. Evil is I want you to hurt so I'll feel better.

I want you to lose so I'll win. What are the goals for my family? Do they include the defeat, the beatdown of others? So, on our list to build a God-honoring household, devise humble and righteous plans. So, because some people like lists, here's the whole thing. There you go. Some of your pens ran out before you got here. To build a God-honoring household, choose God-honoring people as your role models, your counselors. Seek wisdom and understanding with tender discipline. Seek knowledge of real and edifying topics, which means there's going to be stuff that you know nothing about, and that's okay.

Demonstrate humility, patience, forgiveness and love. Be prepared to fight spiritual battles with a spiritual army around you. That's called the body of believers. Listen, learn and speak truth. Devise humble and righteous plans. Our desire is to build a house that lasts, a family that honors the Lord. And so we're going to finish with a statement from Psalm 132. The question is, what is my family's highest priority? Psalm 132 says, surely I will not enter my house nor lie on my bed. I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the mighty one of Jacob.

We talked about what are the goals for your family, what are the priorities for your family. I know you have them. You want to pay off this debt, you want to find a new job, you need a new car, you want your kids to go to this school, you want your kids to have this situation. We all have goals and family priorities and they're great. You should have them. You should make goals for your family and you should write them on a list. And listen, when you write them on a list, put them on a piece of paper and write them all the way down and then go to the top of the page and put find a place for the Lord at the top of the page.

Have goals, have dreams for yourself, for your kids, for your grandkids. Do it. Just go to the top of the list. Find a place for the Lord. Where does he fit into my household plan? What is my highest priority? How do we build a house that lasts on the rock? Who's the rock? The Lord. How do we meet the Lord? Through Jesus. So, if I want my household to reflect Jesus, I got to chase after Jesus. Let's pray about it, would you please? Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the teaching that we need to set goals and we need to have priorities for our families.

But we need to put the Lord first. So, God, help us to put you first when we set our goals, when we make our plans, when we make our decisions, when we dream our dreams. May we have a God-honoring household because you are in the middle of it. May we as adults run hard after the Savior. And we may we model that for the next generation. Please make this church full of households who bless you and honor you. And this we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Faith Walk with Trey Graham. It is our privilege to study God's word together. We invite you to worship Jesus with pastor Trey and the First Melissa Church family. Join us this Sunday in person at 9:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. for one of our powerful Sunday services. We invite you to be our special guest at First Melissa this Sunday. To learn more about the ministries of this exciting congregation, please visit firstmelissa.com. If pastor Trey's Bible studies are a blessing to you, you can listen to more teachings including today's program when you subscribe to the Faith Walk with Trey Graham podcast on Spotify or Apple podcast.

To contact our ministry, please email radio@firstmelissa.com or call 972-838-2277. Don't forget to subscribe on Spotify to both Faith Walk with Trey Graham and Smart Talk with Trey Graham podcast. God is the giver of all good gifts, including our financial blessings. Faithful gifts from our listeners keep this teaching ministry on the air. We thank our wonderful Faith Walk listeners for serving as our ministry partners. Please visit firstmelissa.com now and click on the give tab at the top of the page to make your donation easily and securely today. Please join us again next time as Trey continues the teaching series called Built to Last right here on Faith Walk with Trey Graham.