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LESSON 2: HONOR YOUR PARENTS – THE BRIDGE

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12. ‘Honor’ is a word that has fallen out of favor in our modern western culture. This is particularly the case when it comes to the giving of honor to parents by children whether grown or still at home. The fifth command is the first of six commands that God gives concerning our behavior towards our fellow man. It is the “bridge” between the commands about loving God and those about loving our neighbor. So it is fitting that in our study we will begin here. This week we will look at what it means to “honor” our parents. We’ll consider how this is a picture for how children relate to their Heavenly Father. As you prepare this week take some time to consider how you “honor” your own parents, even if they may not be very “honorable.”

As you prepare your heart and mind for this week’s lesson take a fresh look at some of these verses and make a mental note of the ways in which we can honor our parents, our elders, and everyone else. God puts much value or weight, as the root of the Hebrew word for “honor” indicates, on age and the elderly. Scripture is clear that special deference and care must be given to our parents and elders, especially those within our own family. Consider the ancient Chinese culture, which places great value on honoring parents, and their longevity as a civilization when you read anew this “command with a promise.”

BIG IDEA: Honor your father and mother all your life.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Leviticus 19:3
Ephesians 6:1-4
Proverbs 1:8
Proverbs 23:22
Matthew 15:4-6
1 Timothy 5:8
Leviticus 19:32
Deuteronomy 5:16

UNIT VERSE:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. – Mark 12:30

SECTION VERSE:
The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. – Psalm 28:7a

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• What does it mean to “honor” your father and mother?
• Does this change as you get older? How?
• Name a way you can honor your father and mother now and one when you are all grown up.
• How do you dishonor your father and mother?
• How is honoring your parents like honoring God?

PRAYER:
Thank God for your parents and your grandparents.

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ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.