Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

When I was growing up, going to church was not an option.  My parents mandated it.  You don’t see a lot of that anymore.  I have heard parents say that they are going to leave these kinds of decisions up to their children.  They do not want to force their children to choose one religion over another.  This is utter nonsense.  The most important role of a parent is to influence their children to love God (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

I remember an occasion when I pretended to be sick and pleaded to stay home from church.  My father gave in but with conditions.  There would be no TV, and I had to stay in bed.  My thinking was he would never know if I watched TV or not, so after everyone left, I turned it on and had a good time.  Of course I turned it off as I heard the car pull up in the driveway and climbed back into bed.  However, I soon found myself in trouble.  It never occurred to me that the TV would be warm to the touch and that my bed would be cold.  I had been outsmarted.  My father was pretty shrewd sometimes.  He once almost convinced me to confess smoking cigarettes by telling me he knew I was doing it because my eyebrows were getting thin.  You are probably thinking that going to church did this ole boy no good anyway.  Parents really are smarter than their kids.   I didn’t go to church that day, but I still got a good lesson on the first, fifth and ninth commandments (Exodus 20:3,12,16).

Ephesians 6:1-4 (NKJV)
¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
² "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
³ "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
⁴ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

The Greek word translated “training” here includes the idea of discipline, chastening and correction in order to form the character of a child.  The words, “of the Lord” indicate that God’s Word is to be the textbook.  The word “admonition” means, “a putting into the mind” and conveys the idea of teaching by word, probably verbal and written.  Again, the Bible is the intended textbook.   This would especially include day-to-day spiritual instruction at home as well as through the church. 

I actually enjoyed going to church as a child and still do.  I am glad my parents made that a big part of my life.  It did me a lot of good.  03-10-09

New Life Community Baptist Church