Scriptures: Psalm 127, Isaiah 38:19, Proverbs 13:24, 22:15, 3:11-12

The biggest problem in the nation isn't that we aren't building houses. The problem is, we are not building homes. There's a simple reason this is true. Anybody can build a house, but only God can build a home. Psalm 127:1 says "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." If there is anything God wants us to get right in this life other than our personal relationship with Him, He wants us to get our families right. There is one thing that God makes absolutely plain. No matter what else you do in your life, once you become a parent, if you fail in your role as a father and a mother and you fail in your responsibility of raising those children in God’s way for God’s glory it doesn’t matter what else you succeed in.

In this message, Dr. Merritt deals with the most strategic, critical years of a child’s life from the time children are born until they reach adolescence. Without question, those will be the greatest impact moms and dads will be able to have on the life of their kids.

"Children are the property of the Lord. They are not just born from below, but they are given from above. That means your children are really not your children. They are on loan to you. Your children really belong to God. They are His property and His possession. Do you understand what that really means? That means there is no such thing as an unwanted child and there is no such thing as an illegitimate child. God wants every child conceived in the womb to be allowed to be brought into this world, because every child has a legitimate purpose for living given by God himself." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: family, children, mother, father, husband, communication, wife, re:union, priority, strength, love, serve, share, parents, purpose, reason, design, instructions, parenting, toddlers, babies, adolescents, teenagers