Deuteronomy 22:1-3 “1 ’You shall not see your countryman’s ox or his sheep straying away, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly bring them back to your countryman. 2 If your countryman is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall remain with you until your countryman looks for it; then you shall restore it to him. 3 Thus you shall do with his donkey, and you shall do the same with his garment, and you shall do likewise with anything lost by your countryman, which he has lost and you have found. You are not allowed to neglect them. ‘“

I remember saying that when I was a child. “Finders keepers, losers weepers!” Boy, it felt good to find something really cool outside while playing or to find some money on the ground. I thought I had really scored something. It was even sweeter if it belonged to one of my siblings, and I had always eyed it. Haha.

But this passage in Deuteronomy tells us we should NOT keep it, especially if we know to whom it belongs. What a great lesson for our children to learn. We should look out for the belongings of others. We should hold on to them to keep them safe and then return them when they ask about it.

This, of course, goes directly against our flesh. We want, want, want! We see something and we want it, sometimes even it belongs to someone else. Teaching our children to control the desires of the flesh at an early age will bid them well later in life. When they get a job and are tempted to take something at work that is just “lying there,” it could be end of a career or worse. You’ve heard it said a hundred times “Honesty is the best policy.” What a perfect passage to teach your children. Isn’t the Word just awesome?

Mark 14:3 “While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. “

When you read this story in Matthew and Mark what do you focus on? I don’t know about you, but most everyone zeroes in right away on the alabaster vial. There have been songs written about it. Babbie Mason even entitled a Christian album by that name.

But did you notice the first phrase, “While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon THE LEPER”? Jesus was reclining at the table with a leper? Really? Most scholars agree that Simon was probably a former leper who was still known as Simon the Leper. And since Jesus was the guest of honor He was probably reclining right next to Simon. Perhaps Jesus had healed Simon, and thus the reason He was at his home. We don’t know for sure, but the fact remains, Simon was known as Simon the Leper. What a nickname!

So what’s the lesson we can teach our kids from this passage? Nicknames stick? Be careful who you eat with? No! The lesson is that Jesus loved Simon, no matter what people called him. People probably shunned him. People probably avoided shaking Simon’s hand. Not Jesus. He reclined right next to him and ate with him. And we can assume Simon loved Jesus.

We need to teach our kids to accept others who may be different than us. We need to love on the unlovable. We need to accept those who the world may shun. Why? Because Jesus did! And He asks us to do the same. Why don’t you reach out this week to someone you normally wouldn’t? Show your kids that you too can love a “Simon.”

Deuteronomy 18:21 “’You may say in your heart, “How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?”’”

One of the most difficult spiritual concepts to teach children is how to know when it is the Lord speaking to them or just indigestion. Lol. Seriously, how do we teach them to listen to the Lord’s voice and not be swayed by friends, culture or even a misinformed teacher?

Moses answered his own question he proposed to the people by saying they would wait and see if what the prophet said became true. So the answer is “Are your children hearing the truth as compared to THE Truth?” Our children need a measuring rod for what is true and what is false. We know as believers that the only real truth is God’s Word. We have to use that to compare anything. If what we are hearing does not match up to what God says in His Word, then we are not be swayed by it.

That is why, Parents, you must use God’s Word, not your knowledge or wisdom, as the reason behind disciplining your children. We should always point them to scripture when we correct. Not as a battering ram or a baseball bat, but as the gentle guide it is in our own lives. We need rules and guidelines, and God gives us those so clearly in His Word.

Your children are going to have many questions as they get older that will need clarity. Whom do they date? What will be their major in college? Whom do they marry? Whom do they cast a vote for in an election? All these questions can be answered by clinging to His Word. Point them there. After all, if God says it, that simply settles it.

Mark 12:42 “A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.”

This is probably one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament. What a great lesson on giving! Jesus simply points out to his disciples that it isn’t the size of the gift that matters. It’s the size of the heart of giving.

In my years working with Non-profits, part of my job was to ask donors for support. I have never had a problem asking others to support a worthy ministry or cause. Sometimes those I asked would give very generously. Other times they didn’t. There was one widow who supported the last ministry I worked for. She would send in $1 each month. I visited her when I could to thank her. She never understood why I would go out my way to visit her since she only could give $1. I knew her $1 was her heart gift.

Moms and Dads, it is never too early to teach your children to give. They need to learn the joy of giving. Now I don’t mean for you to just give them your spare change to put in the offering plate. That’s fine, but it’s not their money. When your children get old enough to earn some money, teach them the importance of giving at least a tithe of that to the Lord. But let them choose how to give it.

Lessons learned early about tithing will carry your children through their life. I just love seeing the children each week in our Children’s Church bring in their offering. I love seeing them put that money towards supporting the two children in Guatemala and the one in Thailand. They can literally put a face with their gift.

As with all lessons we teach, Moms and Dads, you need to model this. Show them the joy you have when you give. That is something they will never forget.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 “ 18 ’You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 19 You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. 20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth.’”

Can I ask you a question this morning? Where is your Bible? Do you even know where it is? Is it on a shelf somewhere covered in dust? When you come home from church on Sunday, does it stay right where you put it until next Sunday when you pick it up to go to church?

For many that is the sad truth. But according to this passage we should have it with us at all times. We should “bind it” to our palms and forehead. Now we can’t literally walk around all the time with the Bible in our hand or tied to our forehead. I mean, we could, but we would have hard time getting anything done. So, how can we teach our children this truth?

We must be quick to pick up our Bible (bind it to our palms) when we need an answer. The Bible truly has the answer to all of life’s questions. But in order to find the answer we have to read the book. We must be able to lay our hands on it at anytime. With today’s smart phones and Bible apps, that is so easy.

We also must have the Word of God memorized (bind it to our foreheads). Scripture memorization is difficult for some. I know the older I get the harder it becomes. But when all else fails – hard copies, apps, computer software – we can always have the Word in our memory. Help your children memorize Scripture, maybe just one verse a week!

I will admit that I wasn’t consistent about teaching my kids the Word when they were young. Sure, we read the Bible and they were in church, but I don’t believe I did all I could have done to impress on them the importance of God’s Word in their life. Christopher and Casey, forgive me for not being more diligent about that.   Don’t be like me, Parents. Use God’s Word daily in your kids’ lives. After all, verse 21 promises a blessing to those who do!

Mark 12:10-11 “10 ‘Have you not even read this Scripture: “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; 11 This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes”?’”

I just love the fact that here in this passage Jesus basically calls Himself a rock. What do you think about when you hear the word “rock”? I have been called “hard-headed” before, but somehow I don’t think that is what the Lord was thinking. He wasn’t referring to Himself as someone who was hard to get along with or that object that is just in the way.

I guarantee you if you have little boys they love to throw rocks. Man, I use to love to skip rocks on the water down at the little pond near my house. I use to love to throw rocks at turtles too. Shoot, I even use to love to throw rocks at my brother sometimes (Sorry Tim). Rocks can hurt though. Jesus also isn’t saying He is hurtful.

So, what is He saying? He says He is the “chief corner stone.” That’s the stone that is placed at the base of the building from which all the other stones are laid. It is the most important stone and usually the largest.

Let me encourage you, Moms and Dads, to find a building in your town or city in which there is a visible corner stone. Take your children there and explain this passage to them. Tell them that, just like this stone is the foundation for the building they are looking at, Jesus is the foundation upon which they can build their lives. And when they build on Him, they can be assured that no matter what may happen, they are “rock solid.”

Deuteronomy 8:3 “’He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.’”

Hey Moms, have you ever wondered if the Israelite moms cut the crust off their children’s manna? Call me strange, but I have. My grandma would do that for me. She would make the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread. Her sandwiches were so good because she would mix the peanut butter and jelly together and then spread it on the bread. I still make mine that way. But then she would cut the crust off so the sandwich was soft from edge to edge. Wow! I think I may have to go the kitchen. Lol

This passage today would be a great story to share with your kids while you are making them a sandwich. Ask them if they think the manna bread had crust. But then talk about what the passage is really saying – that life is not about bread or pizza or ice cream or anything we eat. It is about eating God’s Word.

Now that is sure to raise some eyebrows, so you can then talk about how we need to read, study, meditate and really “digest” God’s Word so that it, just like food, can nourish us and make us stronger. Explain how some foods can make us stronger while others really don’t have any nourishment at all. But God’s Word is the best nourishment for our soul.

Okay, I’m off to the kitchen. I sure hope I have some whole wheat bread and some peanut butter. Yum!

Mark 10:51 “And answering him, Jesus said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!’”

You know, when I first read this verse I was like “What a stupid question.” I mean, Jesus, can’t you tell what he wanted. He was blind, for crying out loud. Even a child could tell what he wanted.

But before we go there, think about it. This man was blind and was making a living begging. He didn’t have to work. He sat around all day. People probably helped him get around when needed. Perhaps he put up with his blindness. After all, if he regained his sight, he might have to be “normal.” It says he wanted to “regain,” but we really don’t know if he had been born blind or had lost his sight. Either way, the first thing he would see when healed would be Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t One to assume anything. He didn’t need to ask the question. Since He was God He knew what Bartimaeus wanted. He knew his motive. How many times have you questioned your children when they asked for something even though you knew why they were asking? Did you refuse them? Did you give them what they wanted? Would you give them something that would harm them? Of course not. You would only give them things that blessed them or was good for them.

Our children need to know they can come to us for anything. But they also need to learn that we won’t give them things that we know aren’t good for them, no matter how much they want it. We want to open their eyes to see the difference between good and evil. We want them, like Bartimaeus, to see Jesus. What a sight to behold.

Deuteronomy 1:2 “It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.”

Don’t you love GPS? I mean, come on, don’t you love that voice that pops up whenever you miss your turn shouting, “Rerouting! Rerouting!” Then the map resets and gives you a new route. Sometimes, that new route can take you on quite a journey. If you had just trusted the directions the first time, you may have avoided a rather lengthy reroute.

Think how the Israelite children felt. A journey that could have taken as little as 11 days got “rerouted” into a 40 YEAR journey. Why? Because they missed their turn? Well, kind of. They missed their opportunity to trust the Lord Who had told them to trust Him. They missed the opportunity to go into the Promised Land and enjoy the blessings of the Lord. They, instead, wandered in the desert for 40 years until that generation was all dead. They missed it! Wow!

Our children can learn a lot from this lesson. No, I don’t mean if they don’t obey they are going to wander in the desert and die. But they may miss a blessing because of disobedience or lack of trust. They need to learn to trust the Lord’s direction given through His Word. They need to learn to obey Mom and Dad when you are giving godly counsel. They need to learn to rest in the fact that God knows best – ALWAYS.

Will you model that trust for them? Will you let them see you resting in the Lord’s commands? If you lead, they are much more likely to follow.

Mark 9:36-37 “36 Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37 ‘Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.’”

I just love this passage. It starts out in verse 33 with Jesus questioning the disciples about their discussion on the road. Being a little embarrassed they didn’t admit that they were discussing who would be greatest, but Jesus knew anyway. So, as He did so many times, He uses a child as an illustration.

Now get the picture. There had to be children in the home, so He pulls one up in His arms and says, “Whoever receives one child like this…” He didn’t say “children.” He said “one child.” Do you get that? Just one child can make the difference.

He goes on to say if you receive the child in His name and receive Him you receive His Father. So basically He is saying if you want to know God, then receive Him. When you receive Him, you will want to receive a child in His name. Have I lost you yet? I hope not because children were precious to Jesus when He walked this earth. They are precious to Him now.

Take note also that, as far as we know, this child He was holding wasn’t the child of any of His disciples who were arguing about their greatness. The child wasn’t important because of his or her parents. The child was important because of our Heavenly Father. That’s why we receive each child – because the Father does.

Moms and Dads, I know you “receive” your children. Will you reach out to just one more? That will please Jesus and thereby also please the Father.