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By Al Felder Children need to learn how to worship God. They need to learn that worship is not entertainment. It is not a weekly habit performed without thought. It is not a time for man to redesign what God has commanded. Worship is reverence offered to God according to His will. Parents should teach their children early that God cares how He is worshiped. Many people speak as though sincerity is all that matters. If someone means well, enjoys it, or feels close to God, they

By Al Felder Children need to learn how to pray. Prayer is one of the greatest blessings God gives His people. Through prayer, children can learn dependence, reverence, thanksgiving, confession, trust, patience, and faith. They can learn that God is not distant from His people, and that life should be lived with constant awareness of Him. Children do not automatically understand prayer. They may think prayer is only something said before meals, at bedtime, or during worship.

By Al Felder Children need to learn gratitude. Gratitude is more than saying “thank you,” though children should certainly be taught to say it. Gratitude is a way of seeing life. It recognizes that blessings are received, not owed. It teaches children to notice goodness, acknowledge dependence, honor those who give, and thank God as the giver of every good thing. Without gratitude, children may become entitled. They may receive food, clothing, shelter, help, gifts, correction

By Al Felder Children need to learn contentment. They are growing up in a world built around dissatisfaction. Advertisements tell them they need more. Social media shows them what others have. Entertainment teaches them to chase attention, experiences, possessions, and approval. Comparison begins early, and when it is not corrected, it can grow into envy, greed, resentment, ingratitude, and constant unhappiness. Contentment is not natural; it must be taught. A child may belie

By Al Felder Children need to learn how to handle anger. Anger is powerful. It can affect words, actions, judgment, relationships, and spiritual decisions. A child who is not taught to govern anger may learn to shout, insult, strike, blame, threaten, withdraw, destroy, or seek revenge whenever he does not get his way. Parents must not treat uncontrolled anger as merely a personality trait. Statements such as “He just has a temper,” “She is strong-willed,” or “That is simply h

By Al Felder Children need to learn forgiveness. They will be hurt, disappointed, and treated unfairly. Siblings will offend them, and friends will fail them. Others may speak carelessly, act selfishly, break promises, or refuse to apologize. If children are not taught how to deal with hurt, bitterness can begin early. Forgiveness does not come naturally. The natural response when wronged is often anger, retaliation, blame, avoidance, or the desire to make the other person s

By Al Felder Children need to learn kindness. Kindness is not weakness. It is not merely being polite. It is not pretending that wrong does not matter. Biblical kindness is goodness in action. It is a heart trained to treat others with patience, mercy, compassion, gentleness, and helpfulness because God’s will governs the way we treat people. Children are not born knowing how to be kind. They must be taught to share, speak gently, consider others, forgive, help, listen, and s

By Al Felder Children need to learn how to work. That may sound simple, but it is one of the most important lessons parents can teach. Work is not merely about earning money, completing chores, or staying busy. Work teaches responsibility, discipline, patience, service, stewardship, and faithfulness. A child who is never taught to work may grow up expecting life to serve him. He may become careless with time, unwilling to finish difficult tasks, resentful of responsibility, a

By Al Felder Children need to learn modesty. That lesson should not begin when they are nearly grown. It should begin early, in simple, age-appropriate ways, as parents teach their children how to think about the body, clothing, attention, purity, shamefacedness, and respect for God’s design. Modesty is often treated as if it only concerns clothing. Clothing matters, but modesty reaches deeper than fabric. It begins with the heart. It involves humility, self-control, reverenc

By Al Felder Children need to learn respect for authority. This lesson begins in the home, but it reaches far beyond the home. A child who learns to respect rightful authority is being prepared to respect God’s authority, parental authority, civil authority, congregational leadership, and the responsibilities that come with marriage, work, and daily life. Respect for authority is not popular in a world that often celebrates self-will. Many children are taught, directly or ind

By Al Felder Children need to understand sin. That does not mean parents should burden young children with matters beyond their maturity. It does mean children must be taught, in age-appropriate ways, that sin is real, God defines it, and every person is accountable for his own choices. Many people today avoid the word “sin.” They may call sin a mistake, a weakness, a struggle, a lifestyle, a personal choice, or simply being human, but parents must not let the world soften wh

By Al Felder Children need moral clarity. They are growing up in a world where right and wrong are often treated as matters of opinion. Many people speak as if truth changes with culture, morality changes with feelings, and each person has the right to decide for themselves what is good. However, parents must teach their children something far better: right and wrong are determined by God. This lesson must begin early. Children need to know that some things are right because

By Al Felder Truthfulness must be taught early. Children need to learn that telling the truth is not merely a way to stay out of trouble. It is part of living before God. A truthful heart is important because God is true, His word is true, and He calls His people to walk in truth. Lying is often one of the first sins parents must correct in a child. A child may lie to avoid punishment, to shift blame, to gain attention, to protect pride, or to get something he wants. Sometime

By Al Felder Responsibility is not learned all at once. It is formed through daily instruction, correction, expectation, and practice. A child learns responsibility when he is taught to finish what he starts, tell the truth, care for what has been entrusted to him, accept correction, admit wrong, keep his word, and understand that choices have consequences. Parents should not wait until children are nearly grown before teaching responsibility. By then, many habits may already

By Al Felder Obedience is one of the first lessons a child must learn. Before a child understands many of life’s deeper responsibilities, he must learn to listen, submit, and do what is right. This is not merely a matter of household order. It is spiritual training. A child who learns proper obedience in the home is being prepared to understand authority, responsibility, discipline, and ultimately obedience to God. The Bible says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for

By Al Felder Children are growing up in a world filled with voices. Some voices come from friends. Some come from teachers. Some come from entertainment. Some come from social media. Some come from culture. Some come from their own desires. Every voice is trying to shape how they think, what they value, what they believe, and how they live. That is why parents must teach their children one of life’s most important truths: God’s word is the final authority. This lesson must no

By Al Felder Every parent teaches something. Some lessons are spoken plainly. Others are taught by habit, example, discipline, priorities, tone, worship, conversation, and daily choices. Children learn what matters by watching what their parents love, what they fear, what they excuse, what they pursue, and what they refuse to compromise. That is why one of the most important things parents can teach their children is the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is not merely be

By Al Felder Forgiveness is not only a personal issue. It is also a church issue. Every local congregation is made up of people who need mercy, people who struggle, people who sometimes sin against God, and people who sometimes sin against one another. Because of that, every church must learn how to handle forgiveness biblically. However, this is where many churches struggle. Some churches emphasize mercy in a way that avoids truth. Sin is ignored, repentance is assumed, disc

By Al Felder Forgiveness is one of the most comforting truths in Scripture, but it is also one of the most often misunderstood. Many people want forgiveness without change, mercy without repentance, and peace without truth. They want the blessing of a canceled debt while continuing to live as though the debt never mattered. But biblical forgiveness is never separated from the truth about sin. God’s mercy is real. His grace is abundant. The blood of Christ is sufficient. Yet S

By Al Felder Being hurt by another person is one of the hardest places to practice Christianity. It is one thing to talk about forgiveness in general. It is another thing to forgive when the wound has a name, a face, a memory, and a history. Someone lied. Someone betrayed trust. Someone spoke cruelly. Someone spread gossip. Someone acted selfishly. Someone sinned and left damage behind. In those moments, forgiveness is not theoretical. It becomes a test of faith, humility, ob