If you want a child who is a grief and a rebel and a sorrow and a disaster and a disgrace

and a humiliation and a user and a shame, then don't do anything.

But if you'll discipline that child, set a standard, live by the standard, discipline

to the standard, your children will love you, delight in you, and comfort your heart.

Welcome to Grace to You, the Bible teaching ministry of John MacArthur.

I'm your host, Phil Johnson.

What do children need most?

A good education, positive encouragement? Freedom to express themselves?

Unconditional love? Yeah, those are all good things, even necessary things, but none of them addresses the most important issue for parents, namely, raising your kids so that as much as it can

depend on you, they'll commit their lives to Christ

Find out what it takes to be the parent God wants you to be John's lesson is directed at anyone who is a mom or dad or anyone preparing to be one

The lesson is titled Shade for our children so open your Bible to the book of Ephesians

and follow along as John begins the lesson.

Open your Bible, if you will, to Ephesians chapter 6.

Ephesians chapter 6, verse 4.

The verse says,

And fathers, or better parents do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

An old Chinese proverb says this.

One generation plants the trees and another gets the shade.

You and I are still living in the shade of some trees that were planted

by our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents. We are shaded to some degree by their moral

standards, their spiritual commitment, their value system, their sense of right and wrong, their commitment

...