Yesterday in church Rick White, the leader of the youth worship team, at our church preached on a Cultural Storm. He quoted Matthew’s story of crossing over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee when a storm arose, but Jesus was sleeping in the boat. Rick described, with data, the cultural storm our youth are in. He spoke of suicide rates, the number of trans gender youth, fatherlesssness and a variety of other data points. It was not a pretty picture that was painted and he did it with tears in his eyes as he said, they like disciples in that boat, we crying out, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” He went on to say the church is the answer, we have the solution for this generation, but we must speak up and speak truth. It was a convicting message, as he exhorted us to speak to the storm in the lives of this generation with truth.

Then this morning I am reading Proverbs 13 and verse 24 says, “A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them.” When I was a youth pastor, many years ago, I used to have parent meetings and I would tell them, kids know their loved when you put boundaries on them. I said, L-O-V-E are the four walls that keep them safe. Set the curfew, discipline the bad behavior, correct the attitude, you are not their friend, you are their mom, their dad and though they have many friends they only have one mom and one dad. The Lord reminded me of this today and I believe we have a generation that does not know they are loved and does not feel safe, for many reasons, but one is because we have given up disciplining them.

Not corporal punishment, discipline.

Hebrews 12:5-8 says, “have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves.”

I exhort you this morning in two things, one if you have children please discipline them for it shows them you love them; and two remember you are a child of God and if He disciplines you, submit to it, it truly does let you know you are loved, protected, that you have a Father that does not want you harmed in any way. Discipline is protection not rejection. He loves you!