The document discusses building a wise family according to Proverbs 1:8-19. It emphasizes the central role of parents, particularly fathers' instruction and mothers' teaching, in shaping children's character. Children are wise when they avoid bad company and foolishness. The document also cites statistics about father absence in the US and the negative impacts on children. It encourages coming alongside children as spiritual parents if their own parents fail in their duties. The reflection questions prompt considering what a wise family would look like and how to invest in building one.

1. Being a Wise Family
(Proverbs 1:8-19)

2. Foundations (Prov. 1:7)
• The fear of the LORD as foundational
• Process – building on the foundation
Knowledge Wisdom
Discipline
• Fools (morally deficient) despise
wisdom and discipline

3. Facets of a Wise Family
• Parents are central to the business of
shaping the character of the next
generation (v8-9)
–Father’s instruction
–Mother’s teaching

4. • Father’s instruction (discipline or
training)
–Call to “pay attention to”
–Consistent with Eph. 6:4 – “… bring them up
in the training and instruction of the Lord”
• Fathers are called to a primary role in the
“process” of transforming content into
character

5. • Mother’s teaching (root word “torah”)
–Called to “point to”
–Picture women who point their children to
the “torah” (Eg. 2 Tim. 1:5)
• Women are called to a primary role in
nurturing a core value for the Word of
God

6. Facets of a Wise Family
• Parents are central to the business of
shaping the character of the next
generation (v8-9)
–Result: Favour, inner beauty (v9)
• Role of Parents – By Design or
Assignment?

7. Facets of a Wise Family
• Children are wise when they are not
engaged in social ills (v10-19)
–Recognize the need to be wise in the midst
of foolishness (v8, 10; Prov. 22:15)
–Bad company corrupts good character (v15;
1 Cor. 15:33)
–Foolishness will help you dig your own
grave (v18-19; Gal. 6:7-8)

8. USA Today
• 24 million children live without their biological
fathers
• 2 million single fathers with children under the
age of 18
• 26% of absent fathers live in a different state
than their children
• 40% of children living in fatherless households
haven’t seen their fathers in a year.

9. • Children who live without biological fathers
are, on average, more likely to be poor; more
likely to experience health, educational,
emotional and psychological problems, more
likely to be victims of child abuse; more likely
to engage in criminal behavior as compared
with their peers who live with their biological
mother and father.

10. • Children whose fathers spend the most
time with them and monitor their school
progress are least likely to have behavior
problems. Psychological research finds
that children who grow up to exhibit the
highest levels of moral virtue, as well as
healthy spirituality learned to do so at
their father’s knee.

11. Fathers …

12. Foster Parenting a Wise Family
• Come alongside children. Be a spiritual
parent. John Wesley says at every
baptism it would be good if there are 3
godparents for the child. Two of the
same gender as the child. In case the
parents fail in their duties or are unable
to carry it out, the godparents can still
have spiritual input in the child.

13. Reflection/Discussion
• What kind of a family will you build?
Describe your portrait of what a wise
family would look like.
• To what extent are you prepared to
invest your time, talent, and treasure to
build a wise family? Give specific and
concrete possible application steps.