A Guide to the Spiritual Development of Children: Seventeen Subjects Every Christian Parent Needs to Focus Upon

By Jessie Adams

“I wish I had the Lord Jesus Christ, the church, and this book twenty-two years ago when I started raising my children” 
                                           Elizabeth Arant, Educational Media Specialist 

When children enter your life, one thing immediately comes to mind: things would probably go much more smoothly if they came with an owner’s manual. And for those who want their children to follow God and live a godly life, some extra help might be nice to help counter the negative influences children will face every day. 

Author Jessie Adams can help. In A Guide to the Spiritual Development of Children: Seventeen Subjects Every Christian Parent Needs to Focus Upon, he shares the knowledge he developed in a decade of ministering at his church and counseling young people and their families. Parents will learn how to talk with their children about subjects such as love, discipline, society, prayer, finances, and the justice system. Extensive scriptural passages provide additional guidance and inspiration. 

A Guide to the Spiritual Development of Children: Seventeen Subjects Every Christian Parent Needs to Focus Upon will guide parents as they strive to take their rightful place as the leader in their children’s development. 


“The familiar saying of ‘Home is where the heart is‘ is more than a good proverb. It reveals that the home is a place where God has called parents to raise Godly children. Upon reading The Guide for the Spiritual Development of Children by Jessie Adams, the principles he hits upon lead right to the heart of the home of how parents can pass the test of being and becoming Godly examples to their children by being the primary catalyst to their spiritual development. The biblical principles which are given in this book can encourage, exhort, and equip any parent in training up godly children who will make an eternal impact in the lives of their own children in the future. I highly recommend this book to any parent or parent-to-be as a powerful tool in helping them raise Godly children.” 

Reverend Brad Threatt, Senior Pastor 

Spring Hill Baptist Church, Lancaster, SC

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781490890425

Jessie Adams

Jessie Adams received a master’s degree in theology from Carolina Bible College. He is the associate pastor, minister of youth and children, at Pleasant Dale Baptist Church in Lancaster, South Carolina. He lives in Lancaster with his wife and daughter.

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Copyright © 2019 Jessie Adams.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-9041-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-9042-5 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/28/2018

A Guide for the Spiritual Development of Children

Parents must realize the responsibility for their child’s spiritual development

lies within their own hands and should be guided by the Word of God.

Preface

Chapter 1 The Love Factor: It is a MUST!!

Chapter 2 Society: They want our kids!

Chapter 3 Family and Home: Do you have one?

Chapter 4 Adult Example: Are you a good one?

Chapter 5 Finances: What do your kids know?

Chapter 6 Justice System: America’s Mess

Chapter 7 Self-Esteem and Friends: How do you contribute?

Chapter 8 Prayer: What are you doing??

Chapter 9 Attention Men: It’s time to be a man!!

Chapter 10 Teenagers: Get them out of their own little world!

Chapter 11 Train them Up: It’s YOUR responsibility!

Chapter 12 Godly Marriages: Be an Example!

Chapter 13 Adults: Do they trust you????

Chapter 14 Teenagers: A product of their parent’s generation

Chapter 15 Discipline: It is not an option!!

Chapter 16 Security: Children need it!

Chapter 17 Sex: Who is teaching them??

Chapter 18 How do we change? Five practical ways to get on track!!

Works Cited

End Notes

Preface

AS A YOUTH PASTOR I have experienced many things - some good and some bad. This book is a compilation of experiences and dilemmas that I have had to deal with. I am grateful that the Lord has allowed me to lead and learn from such a dynamic group of teenagers. I have been on staff, full-time, for nine years as Youth Pastor at Pleasant Dale Baptist Church in Lancaster S.C. Teenagers these days live in situations that you and I, as children, never even heard of, let alone had to live through. I have listed seventeen topics that must be a priority and a practice for parents of the twenty-first century. In this book you will learn why I believe teenagers act the way they act, as well as the role that past generations have played in where we are right now as a society. I have listened to teenagers pour their hearts out about things that are going on in their homes and issues to which they are exposed. You will read true stories that I have dealt with and helped kids work through. In my nine years of full time youth ministry, I have issued two surveys containing questions that I came up with at random.

I would recommend that every youth minister do a survey of their youth every few years. Questions that I issued dealt with home, life, church, and any ways that they feel we have failed them in our churches. This gives you an insight into what they are thinking as well as what they expect from the church. I asked this and it was very eye opening to what they expect from the church and where they think we have failed them. The key to an honest survey is that you tell them they do not have to write their names, just be honest. In this book you will read some of the answers to these surveys as well as the actions that we have taken as a ministry and within personal homes. If there has ever been a time in history to blow the horn of a battle cry it is this day. It breaks my heart to see the way teenagers have to live and so many adults and parents acts as though they do not care. People will come to you for advice and when you give it to them they disregard all you have done to help. It is time for this adult generation to put some stones in the river and dare anyone to touch them. In scripture, when the priest crossed the river on dry ground, they took stones and made a memorial that when future generations would ask what the stones were for, it would be to remind them of what God done on that day. There needs to be some stones in our lives that we can call together the generation of today and say Let me tell you what God has done for me. Our teenagers and children need to hear our testimony of what the Lord has done for us and to relay to them that He is still alive and well and He wants to do amazing things through them. As you read this book, my prayer is that you will ask, What can I change to help this generation? You may think that because you are not a parent, this does not pertain to you. WRONG! If you are a child of God attending a church, you need to strive to be an example for this generation. All seventeen of the topics in this book apply to anyone that has a love for children and teenagers and wants what is best for them.

Jessie Adams

Youth Pastor,

Pleasant Dale Baptist Church

Lancaster S.C.

CHAPTER ONE

The Love Factor: It is a MUST!!

IT WAS THE NIGHT OF the national championship football game. I had just finished Bible study at church and was headed home to catch the game. I had just gotten on my pajamas and sat down for the kickoff when the sweetest voice in the world asked, Daddy, can you play a game with me? As I breathed in to respond by asking if I could watch the game, the words out of my mouth were, Yes honey, Daddy can play a game with you. Many men would ask why in the world would you want to give up a national championship game to play a board game? It is very simple; it’s called love. Many people say, I love you. The problem is that most don’t even comprehend what that word actually is. Love is an action word. It may be relayed by what you say, but the question is this: Do your actions match your words?

For God so loved the world that he gave…… John 3:16

This is probably the first verse of Scripture that most people ever learn. If the Bible would have said that God loved the world but never gave a demonstration of how much, we would wonder Okay how does God love us? The word gave changes this whole verse of Scripture. It is an action word. He loves us and to affirm that love he acted upon it by giving to all mankind the most precious thing he had, his own son. We know there are many other things Christ did in Scripture to show his love. Among them, He suffered and died, both of which are actions. God’s children know of the love He has for them because of the actions He used to demonstrate His love. These actions make it known that He does not just say He loves us; it is portrayed.

Most parents would say Well, I give my children money, shoes, and clothes; they have everything they need to survive. I even bought them a car. That sounds really good, but what have you sacrificed in order to make them know they are loved? When is the last time you have put aside your own agenda in order to make them feel important? The Bible says God has cattle on a thousand hills and all the gold in the world is His as well as all that is in the world. He chose not to use this as a sacrifice. Many think Well, I give my kid money and provide their needs and that should be enough. Wrong!

God did not use money to show His love; that is materialism. Our children don’t need our materialistic things to be successful in life; they need us. They need our time; they need to know that they are important and that there is nothing we would not sacrifice in order to make them a priority. There is nothing more precious in the world than to see the eyes of my daughter light up when I ask her to play a game or go outside and play with her in the yard. It is during these times that we demonstrate to our children that our plans can wait. They are what is important.

I know many of you may be saying, Well that sounds great for a kid, but my kid is now a teenager. How do I show them they are a priority? I will tell you the same thing that I have tried to teach our adults here at Pleasant Dale. That is the fact that our teens are not interested in our world, so we have to become part of their world. Whatever it is that your teen likes to do, you need to become a part of it. I know you may not like to play video games, but if that is what your teen likes to do, then that is what you need to learn to do. Don’t buy the idea that they don’t want you to play with them. Most teens love a competition. This also will show them that whatever you have to do to be a part of their life, you are willing to do it; this is part of the action that demonstrates love. If your child likes to go golfing, then go learn how to hit a ball. If your teen loves spending time riding the four-wheeler, then take two muscle relaxers and saddle up! If your teenager is into paintball, then buy yourself some protective clothing and get ready for war! If your teen likes to go camping, then buy you some bug spray and an air mattress and head