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Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Hi, this is Robert Jeffers, and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory, don't neglect. one of Solomon's most basic truths, and that truth is this. When you exit life's stage for the last time, Your likeness appears again and again.
In the children? you leave behind. That's why Solomon says, success. without succession. is failure.
Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. Every Christian parent longs to see their child develop their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
So how can moms and dads draw their children toward the faith rather than away from it? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffers shares time-tested principles for making a Christ-like impression on your children and grandchildren. But first, let's take a moment to hear some important ministry updates. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory.
I want to personally invite you to join me on one of the most meaningful journeys you'll ever take. May 14th through the 23rd, 2027. The Pathway to Victory family is setting sail on a Mediterranean cruise. And I'd love for you to be part of it. We're calling it the Journeys of Paul.
And that's exactly what it is. Along the way, we'll walk the same biblical sites where the early church was born, stand on Mars Hill where the gospel was preached, explored the ancient ruins of Ephesus, and sailed the same waters the Apostle Paul once crossed. There's nothing quite like studying God's Word in the very places it was written, and surrounded by people who love Him. Take a look at the amazing itinerary and reserve your spot today by going to ptv.org.
Now our current study in Proverbs is called The Solomon Secrets. And in addition to the broadcast series, Pathway to Victory has set aside a number of resources for you. The first is my book, also titled The Solomon Secrets, 10 Keys to Your Success. One of those 10 keys is Listen to the Jerks in Your Life. How's that for a title?
Here's another one. To succeed more, Fail more, and yet another counterintuitive idea: the way up, is down. My book is yours when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.
Alright, I'm eager to get right to the message, as it contains essential instructions for every parent and grandparent listening today. I'm citing the wise words of Solomon in Proverbs 22, verse 6. Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it. Today's message is titled, Success Without Succession is Failure.
Man's wisdom says our influence in this world ends the moment that we die. God's wisdom says Our greatest influence on this world continues after we die. In the children and the grandchildren we leave behind. And that's why the second Solomon secret we're going to look at today is success. without succession.
is failure. And what I would like to do is, I would like to take that word success. And use it as an acrostic for seven keys of being a successful mom or dad. Mark these seven steps down. The first S in the word success stands for this: successful parents see their children as a gift from God.
A successful parent is one who doesn't see his child as an irritant. or an inconvenience. But instead sees his child as an inheritance, a gift from God. In Psalm 127, verse 3, the psalmist said, Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Secondly, Successful parents, the U stands for, understand, accept, and develop their child's bent. You know what Proverbs 22, 6 says? Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The key to understanding this verse correctly is understanding that phrase in the way he should go. That's not talking about the moral or spiritual direction.
That phrase, in the way he should go, is a Hebrew phrase that could be translated according to his natural bent. That is, train your child according to his natural inclinations, because even when he's an old person, he will still follow those inclinations. Number three. Successful parents, the C stands for commit to lead their children to Christ. Successful parents, number three, commit to lead their children to Christ.
The most important task we have as parents is leading our children to faith in Christ. Successful parents commit. to leading their children to faith in Christ. You say, well, how do we do that? Let me give you three practical ideas for leading your child to Christ.
Number one, pray for your children's salvation regularly. And that leads to the second step: be open to your child's salvation at an early age. See, we bought into this idea, this false idea. that children need to be like adults before they can be saved. Just the opposite.
Jesus said in Matthew 18, verse 3: Truly I say to you that unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not see the kingdom of heaven. It's the most natural thing in the world for a child to want to become a Christian. It's so much easier for children to become Christians. Children don't carry with them all of that emotional and life baggage that adults carry with them, that many times makes it hard for them to enter into the gate of salvation. That's why the Bible encourages children.
to be saved. Parents, let me give you a word of advice here. If your child shows an interest in making a decision for Christ, if during an invitation time they want to come forward, do not do anything to discourage them. Jesus said, Do not prevent the children from coming to me, Matthew 19:14, for such as is the kingdom of heaven. If you're going to lead your child to Christ, be open to the possibility of their salvation.
Number three, schedule a time to explain the gospel to your child. When you sense that your child has these questions, is interested in becoming a Christian. Show them how important it is by actually scheduling a time to talk to your child about the gospel. And in that time, you have or your child go through Billy Graham's Steps to Peace with God, or the Roman Road, or the four spiritual laws. And when you're finished, ask them, would you like to become a Christian right now?
And more likely than not, they'll be ready to pray to receive Christ as their Savior at that point. I know I've told you before, but When my first daughter, Julia, was five, she was asking all kinds of questions. And so we scheduled an appointment for Amy to bring her down to my office at the church. And she sat there, and I went through the gospel with her, and she prayed to receive Christ as her Savior there in my office. I would have done the same thing with Dorothy, but Julia beat me to the punch.
And when she was nine, she led her five-year-old sister to come to become a Christian as well. You know Like many of you, I was in the delivery room when Both of my children were born. That was exciting. But that excitement pales in comparison. To the thrill of seeing my children born again.
When I knew for sure from that point on that I would see them forever and ever because of their relationship with Christ. Parents, commit to leading your children. to Christ. The second C in this number four is Communicate spiritual values to your children. Communicate spiritual values to your children.
You see, your responsibility as a parent doesn't end when they become a Christian, it actually begins at that point.
Solomon said that in Proverbs chapter 6. There are numerous spiritual values we need to pass on to our children. Look at verse 20. My son, observe the commandment of your father, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. Bind them continually on your heart.
Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you. When you sleep, they will watch over you. And when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs for discipline are the way of life.
Parents, listen to me. If you're trying to raise godly children in this godless culture, You're swimming upstream. Every day, your children are being assaulted through the media, through friends, through life experiences with values that are completely contrary to your values, but more importantly, to God's values. And that's why we have to be proactive in teaching spiritual truth to our children. Moses understood the importance of doing that.
Turn over to Deuteronomy chapter 6. Remember, Moses was preparing his spiritual children, the Israelites, to enter into Canaan. He knew in this promised land, they were going to face numerous temptations of immorality and idolatry. And he knew the only way Israel was going to steer clear of those temptations was by training their children. To remain faithful to God.
Now, listen to the urgency you find in Deuteronomy 6. Moses said, Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your might. And these words which I, Moses, am commanding you today shall be on your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your sons. And you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. I want you to notice in verse 7.
The two ways We are to communicate spiritual truth to our children. First of all, we are to do it diligently. That Hebrew word diligently there means to intensely sharpen. There's a sense of urgency there. No, when we talk about spiritual values, we're not talking about nice little platitudes to tell your children, like be sweet to people, or cleanliness is next to godliness.
No. These are urgent truths that have to be communicated. We've got to remind our children that they have an adversary, the devil, who is doing everything he can to destroy every part of their life. We need to be proactive. We need to be intense.
We need to sound the alarm. But notice also in verse 7, in teaching us how to teach this truth. He tells us it ought to be in the course of everyday life. The way you communicate spiritual truth to your children is not by bringing them to church just once a week on Sunday morning for a great program with Sunday school and worship. That's important.
Don't neglect doing that. But that's not the only thing we're to do. It doesn't mean, you know, pulling out the old family Bible and dusting it off once a week and having a forced devotional time with your children. It's fine to have a devotional time. But what Moses is saying is, our spiritual instruction ought to be a part of our everyday life.
He says it ought to happen when you sit down at the dinner table. Or in some cases, when you're in your car and the drive-through through Chick-fil-A, you know, wherever dinner is for you. Use that time to talk about spiritual truth. When you're driving someplace. Use that time.
Use natural conversation to talk about spiritual truth. When you're sitting around and watching a television program, A television program that maybe goes against God's truth. Use that as a teaching opportunity. Look for those teachable moments to communicate spiritual truth. Number five, successful parents, the E stands for, exemplify godly character.
They exemplify godly character. Perhaps you've heard this saying.
Some truths are better caught. than taught. That's true when it comes to spiritual values. Yes, our words are very important. But our words have to be reinforced by our actions.
It's not enough to just talk the talk. We have to be willing to walk the walk. That's what The Bible is talking about here as well. We need to exemplify godly character. One time a number of years ago, I was preaching a message.
In my last church, on how husbands can meet the needs of their wives. And after the first service, the 8:15 service, I went back to my office to check on something, and I was surprised to find a note from Julia, who was about 11 at the time. And she had been in the first service, and she said, Dear Dad, that was a wonderful message.
Now, here are some ways you can apply it in our family. And then she listed about four or five suggestions. Guess what? They were great suggestions. And she was listening to what I was saying.
She was listening, but she was also watching, and how I lived out those truths in my life. I'm not the only one. Your kids are listening, but they're also watching. That's why Moses said, look at Deuteronomy 6, go back to verse 5. He addresses parents first.
He said, Parents, you can't give away something you don't possess. He says in verse 5, You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your might. And these words which I'm commanding you shall be on, underline that. Your heart. And then and only then can you teach them diligently to your children.
Make sure that you exemplify godly character. Yes, our children are listening, but they're also watching. Number six. Successful parents. seek to discipline their children consistently.
Solomon devotes a lot of ink to the subject of the discipline of children in the book of Proverbs. We don't have time this morning to examine everything he says about Proverbs about discipline in the book of Proverbs, but I can distill everything he says about disciplining children with these three principles from the book of Proverbs. First of all, Solomon says discipline should begin early in life. In Proverbs 13, 24, he says, He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently. And there, the word diligently literally means at early dawn.
If you love your child, you will discipline him at early dawn.
Now, that doesn't mean you wake your kid up. Every morning at 5:30 for their daily beating.
Okay, that's not what he's talking about. The phrase at early dawn means early in life. Don't wait until your child is 13 or 14 to try to discipline them. Effective discipline begins early in life. Secondly, discipline should be tailor-made for the child.
It needs to be tailor-made for the child. You know, there's this running debate in Christian circles and educational circles. What's more effective? Physical corporal punishment? or verbal reproof.
The answer is yes. Both are effective. Both are necessary depending upon the child. and depending upon the situation. Yes, the Bible does advocate physical discipline.
In Proverbs 23, verses 13 and 14, Solomon said, Do not hold back discipline from the child. Although you beat him with the rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod and deliver his soul. From She-Oll.
Now, before you call child protective services on me or Solomon. Understand what Solomon is saying and not saying. He is not advocating the abuse of children. No parent, no one. should ever abuse a child.
I believe. That hell's hottest flames will be reserved for those who abuse children. That's not just my conjecture. Jesus said. If anybody hurts a child, It would be better that a millstone be tied around his neck and he be cast into the depths of the sea.
than to face God.
Now, we're not talking about child abuse here. What Solomon is talking about is the appropriate physical discipline of a child that's done in love, not out of anger. If it's done correctly, It will not only stop their rebellion against their parents, but against ultimately God. Because you see, parents. A child's rebellion, if left unchecked, Unchallenged, will eventually metastasize into rebellion against God.
That will lead that child into hell. That's why the most loving thing we can do is to discipline our children. And that leads also to another side of this.
Sometimes Proverbs 19, verse 17 says the more effective way to discipline is with verbal correction. My brother, who's a lieutenant in the police department, my Dad used to beat the bejeepers out of him. And my brother would run around the house while my father would chase him outside the house. And he'd just beat him within an inch of his life, and my brother would say, That didn't hurt, do it again. You know, some people are like that.
Other people respond better to verbal correction. That's why Proverbs 29, verse 17 says, Correct your son, and he will give you comfort. He will also delight your soul. That word correct literally means verbally reprove your child. Number three, discipline should be grounded in love.
One way we know that God loves us is He doesn't let us get away with anything. If you're a child of God, God is not going to let you get away with rebellion. He is going to bring discipline into your life. In Proverbs 3:11 to 12.
Solomon says, My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe his reproof, correction. For whom the Lord loves, he reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights. The sign of God's love for you and me. is that He disciplines us when we stray from Him. The way we demonstrate love toward our children is we refuse to allow them to get away with rebellion against us or against God.
One writer said it this way. The parent must convince himself that punishment is not something he does to the child. It is something he does. for the child. The parent's attitude toward his disobedient youngster is this.
I love you too much. to allow you to behave like that. Number seven. Successful parents are those who spend time with their children.
Now, I'll admit, there's no proverb specifically that says that, but it's certainly inferred by everything else we've looked at this morning. It takes time. To communicate spiritual truth to your children. To lead them to faith in Christ, to understand, develop, and maximize your child's men. It takes time.
It takes a quality of time, but it also takes a quantity of time. Unfortunately, Many parents today aren't spending time with their children. USA Today had a survey one time. They asked a group of teenagers, when you run into problems, if you were to run into serious trouble, where would you turn first? You know what the number one response was?
Where children, teenagers turn when they run into trouble. Number one response was. Friends The second response was Music. The third response was television. Moms, you know where you ranked on the list?
You were number 31. Dads. We were number 48. It takes time. Devoted time spending with our children to be a successful parent.
Now I realize This morning, here and in the Pathway to Victory, I'm speaking to some of you who are parents. Who have done the best you knew to do, you tried to apply these principles. But you feel like you have failed as a parent. Maybe there's a broken relationship you have with your child, or maybe your child is not living. according to God's principles.
And you're overwhelmed with guilt over that. Let me remind you of something. The first two people who lived on this planet were Adam and Eve. They had a perfect Heavenly Father. They lived in a perfect environment at the Garden of Eden.
And yet they rebelled against God. There's no money-back guarantee that if you do everything we talked about this morning, you're going to raise. Perfect, godly children. But here's the promise. Parents who follow these principles are going to be more successful than parents who ignore these principles from God's Word.
Don't neglect. one of Solomon's most basic truths, and that truth is this. When you leave this world, you don't really leave. When you exit life's stage for the last time, Your likeness appears again and again. In the children, and the grandchildren you leave behind.
That's why Solomon says success. without succession. is failure. Ready to get started? Are you prepared to take your next step?
As your radio pastor, I'm urging you to begin deploying these powerful principles from Solomon's Book of Proverbs. The wisdom in Proverbs provided the foundation for my practical book called The Solomon Secrets, 10 Keys to Your Success. This is the kind of book you can take on a business trip or share with your small group at church. It contains chapters on issues that confront us all. Like fostering a healthy marriage, nurturing your children God's way, gaining control over your finances, and learning to thrive in the workplace.
My book comes with our thanks when you include a generous gift to support Pathway to Victory. Be sure to mention the title. The Solomon Secrets.
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Mullins. Join us Friday for Solomon's Secret number three. If you don't know where you're going, you're going to end up somewhere else. That's Friday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr.
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