Love Language Week 7: The Parent/Child Relationship

Tom McCormick

Love Language: What God Says About Relationships

Sermon Only Sermon Audio

Sep 21, 2025

1 John 4:10,19

As we close out our series Love Language: What God Says About Relationships, Pastor Tom McCormick teaches from 1 John 4:10,19.

In this sermon, we focused on the relationship between parents and children and how God calls both to love each other biblically. Parents are to love their children as God loves them—sacrificially and unconditionally. Children are to love their parents by honoring, obeying, and listening to their wisdom.

As Proverbs 22:6 reminds us: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” How does God call parents to raise their children? Check out this sermon to find out!

Sermon Notes

Love Language: What God Says About Relationships
Week 7: The Parent/Child Relationship

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sin. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:10,19

How Are Parents to Love their Children?

Parenting children means sinners are leading sinners. The fallible are leading the fallible. Parent are never perfect.

Two Truths About Biblically Loving Our Children:
1. To biblically love my child, I must love them like God loves me.

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:10,19

As God loves me sacrificially, I am to love my children sacrificially.

As God loves me unconditionally, I am to love my children unconditionally.

As God loves me before I loved Him, I am to love my children before they love me.

2. To biblically love my child, I must conform to biblical teaching

• I am/must be a coach.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“From the moment of birth we are teaching our child to progress to live independently from us.” Dr. Adrian Rogers

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

A decision made in the cool of the day won’t change in the heat of the moment.

• I am/must be a teacher.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Deuteronomy 6:4-7

“You cannot teach what you do not know.” Dr. Howard Hendricks

• I am/must be a “releaser.”

“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.” Psalm 127:3-5

“Why do you take credit for the failure of your ministry? It reveals one thing about you. If you take credit for the failure, it also means you will take credit for the success.” Craig Groeschel

How Are Children to Love Their Parents:
1. To biblically love my parents, I must honor my parents

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

2. To biblically love my parents, I must obey my parents

“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Colossians 3:20

3. To biblically love my parents, I must hear and value the words of my parents

“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” Proverbs 23:22

Sermon Notes

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