The Short Pencil Syndrome: Put Christ at the Centre of Your Home

Sermon outline

Christ must be the centre of your home, and a Christ-centred family is built by doing the Word, talking to your children about God, staying grateful and refusing bitterness so the love of God can flow.

1. Who is the centre of your home?

   Biblically speaking, Christ must be the centre of the home, and when He is, that devotion flows out to father, mother, children, grandparents, wealth and possessions. We all keep compartments and pain in our hearts that we do not want to hand over, but scripture calls us to open every part to the Lord, who does not condemn us and loves us as His special child. Like Joshua, each family must choose whom it will serve.

   “Biblically speaking, Christ must be the centre of our home.”

   • Joshua 24:15

2. God has not left us in the dark: be doers of the Word

   Young couples and new believers often fear they do not know enough, but God has given us the Bible, His will and testament, and calls us to be doers and not only hearers. When we do the Word we see the results, and the same testimonies are happening in churches across the world. Choose the right influences: learn from people who have gone higher than you, while remembering you are ultimately following Christ, who works through people on the earth.

   Illustration: Echoing his Sunday message, he says you cannot ask someone who is losing in life how to win, or someone with terrible marital problems how to fix your marriage.

   “We are still writing the book of Acts.”

   • James 1:22
   • Romans 10:14

3. The aspects of a Christ-centred life

   From the lesson notes he lists the lordship of Jesus Christ, knowing and obeying God's will, family prayer, loving one another in word and deed, and forgiving one another. Forgiveness takes time, because when we are young it is 'my way or the highway', but with the years we learn to overlook offences and not repay evil for evil. Sowing and reaping applies to every area of life, not only to money.

   “If we get a spirit of bitterness in our heart, then faith can't flow.”

   • Romans 12:17
   • Galatians 6:7
   • Proverbs 4:23

4. Don't preach to your children: talk to them

   The truth of God's Word must first capture the parents' hearts and then pass to the children, who are sharp and sensitive and pick up tension at home. Moses told parents to talk to their children, so in everyday conversation explain why we serve God, go to church, tithe and give, and teach them to give ten rand of a hundred to the Lord. Tell them how hard life was and how good God has been so they grow up grateful, and fill your home with the Word and reminders of God's goodness.

   Illustration: His own generation knew only the bus, the taxi or walking, yet today a child who finishes matric expects a car. Parents can give it cheerfully, but should remind children how earlier generations struggled so they do not treat it as a right.

   “But instead of preaching to them, talk to them.”

   • Deuteronomy 6:5-9
   • 2 Corinthians 9:7
   • Psalm 5:12

5. The short pencil syndrome: ingratitude leads to bitterness

   People forget quickly what others have done for them, and ingratitude leads to bitterness, which he calls a blessing blocker that stops the love of God flowing from your heart. A bitter person mistrusts God, hates those they lead and their colleagues, and ends up with a distorted message, becoming like a priest unfit to serve. Do not settle your own scores, because God balances the books.

   Illustration: A church member described people who are not grateful for what has been done for them as having 'short pencil syndrome', so he stuck a tiny pencil on the wall of his study, where he prays, as a reminder.

   “God is a great accountant. He'll balance the books.”

   • Leviticus 21:17-24

6. Make a demand on the anointing and grow up in love

   Jesus was divinity in humanity: He wept, rejoiced, grew tired and hungry, and could do few miracles in Nazareth where people did not recognise the anointing, while blind Bartimaeus cried out and was healed. Whatever our status, we too must cry out to Jesus for help and guidance. Paul put away childish things, and God wants us mature, fathers and mothers to everyone we lead, because only love heals people and the anointing does not flow through a heart with malice in it.

   “You can only heal people by love.”

   • Luke 19:41
   • John 1:11
   • Mark 6:5
   • Mark 10:46-52
   • 1 Corinthians 13:11