ABC’s hit television show entitled Super Nanny has an individual by the name of Jo Frost who has quite a unique job. In fact, struggling parents bring her into their home to give instruction in just how to raise their children.
Do you know, she debuted in the UK, I didn’t know this, in 2004 with only three episodes and overnight she became and absolute sensation in the UK. In fact she coined the phrases, and I’m going to say them like she would say them. You all know who super nanny is; this is what she says, “Naughty Step”. Can we practice that together? Y’all look rough. Can you say that with me on the count of three? One, two, three, “Naughty Step”. Y’all are terrible.
She also coined the phrase “Your behavior is very naughty.” She not only is taking the UK by storm, she’s also taken the US by storm. Supernanny is a simple reminder week after week that American families are in deep need of simple parenting principles. Last week we talked about how to be SMART parents. The basis of our talk was to be certain we were seeking to raise children who have hearts for the Lord. This week we will learn together as parents what the Bible teaches about discipline.
So did you bring your bible, say amen? I want to invite you to open it with me to Proverbs 22:15. We are going to be all over the book of Proverbs. Proverbs was written by Solomon to his son and all throughout this particular book there is great wisdom concerning how you and I as parents can raise our children.
Proverbs 22:15, we are going to ask several questions this morning but here is the very first one. You can follow along with your bulletin outline.
The First Question is, “What does the Bible teach me about discipline?” What does the Bible teach me about discipline?” If you’ve got it there look at Proverbs 22:15, you the bible there? If you got it say amen. The bible says, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” Let me read this again because this is not popular in our day is it? “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.”
Stop there for just a minute, that word Foolishness is derived from the word folly. The word folly is found all throughout the book of Proverbs. The term Folly highlights a lack of good sense and normal caution and foresight. In fact I could say it this way to you this morning, Folly crosses the road before looking both ways. The heart of your children and mine is bound up says the scripture. Bound up means, did you know literally means to be “tied up.” Now I want you to listen to this, the heart of our children is tied up with foolishness. The Bible teaches us, “The child lacks good sense; they lack normal caution and foresight concerning their choices of both attitude and action.”
I would suspect if you had a child who had been held hostage by someone, tied up and bound, you would do whatever necessary to free them from that situation. Well, this Scripture tells me that my children are being held hostage. Folly has kidnapped them and bound them up tightly. There’s a rope tied around their hearts and it has three strands and that three strand cord is not easily broken. There’s the strand of “no good sense,” sayeth the scripture, there’s the strand of “zero caution,” there’s the strand of no “foresight.”
So the question is simply this, “What must I do as a parent, as a daddy to be absolutely certain that I can rescue my children from folly? What can I do to free them up?”
Well, did you notice the second half of the verse? Look at what Solomon says, the bible says “The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” Question? What will the rod of discipline remove far from the child? Foolishness. It will remove Folly.
The rod of discipline is what unties our children from a lack of good sense, normal caution, and a lack of foresight. Did you know the term rod speaks of a branch or a stick? Now I’m going to have a good time this morning whether y’all want to or not. But how many of you have ever been whooped by a branch or a stick. You slip it up, God bless you. Now some of you, I know should have got more whoopings than you got. But the term rod speaks there of a branch or stick. I did a word study on it. The branch or stick is sanctified by the Lord and the parents for correction. By this I mean, the rod has been set aside as a rod of correction.
Did you know it’s interesting, someone was asking how old does a child have to be before they quit getting a spanking. Look at the preacher just a minute. My last spanking, I was 17 years old. Now I want to say it wasn’t by my mother or father, it was in school which is a pretty sad story isn’t it. I was in a Christian school. I was chewing bubble gum one day or something like that and walked in and the lady asked me, do you have gum in your mouth? To which I responded, yes ma’am. That was polite wasn’t it? Then she says, why are you chewing gum? Because my breath stinks, that’s why I’m chewing gum. Next thing I knew I was in the office with a little short lady and a big’ol rod and she wore me out. Needless to say, no more gum in school.
