Fam – The Power of Connection

Access Church

The Power of Connection There are no perfect parents. Have you ever: Rolled your eyes at your children Told a little white lie to your children, like “We’ll see!” Lost a child at Disney World Lost your mind at one your children’s sporting events and had to go sit in your car Tried to teach a child a math concept, but instead threw the math book across the room and screamed “I HATE MATH! THE INTERNET CAN TEACH YOU NOW!” There are no perfect parents, but we serve a perfect God. John 3:16 // For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Isaiah 11:1 // A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. God’s plans are not thwarted by human imperfection. John 13:34-35 // Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. We must remember that our children are among the "others" Jesus called us to love. Parenting isn’t about being picture-perfect, because pictures are about US. Parenting is about being a mirror reflecting the light of Jesus to our children. “We are mirrors whose brightness is wholly derived from the sun that shines upon us.” C.S Lewis Great parenting isn’t found in a formula-it’s forged as we follow Jesus. Connection Undistracted Connection Parents spend approximately 3-4 hours per day on their phones. Parents spend approximately 2 hours per day with their kids. The greatest gift you can give your children is your presence. And nothing says you're present like your face in front of theirs. Seen Known Loved Widen the Circle Purpose and Direction Brain activity from having a sense of purpose can help kids combat anxiety and stress, regulate anger, and ward off depression. Ephesians 2:10 // For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Matthew 22:37-40 // Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. We are a product of eternity, positioned in time and given gifts and talents to serve our generation. Identity and Worth Our worth or the worth of our children is not defined by our actions or achievements but by our identity in Him. 1 John 3:1 // See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are. Kids will rise and fall to the height of our words. Proverbs 18:21 // The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit What if I’ve blown it? What if I don’t know how to parent like this because I was not parented like this? The ground is level at the foot of the cross.