You're listening to Mountain View Church Audio, Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City, Whitehorse, UConn. Here's this week's message. Back to school means new teachers, new classroom, new supplies, new routines, and lots of things to learn. But here's the thing. Your child's education does not begin when they go through the school doors. It begins at home. Before they learn from a teacher, they learn from us. Before they learn what is written in a textbook, they are learning what is lived out in front of them.
Let me ask this question. What are our children learning from the way we live? Proverbs 22.6. Speak directly into that question. Welcome to Mountain View Church. My name is Herbert. I'm the children's pastor. Want to connect with us? Head to mountainview.church slash connect or send us a DM at Mountain View Whitehorse.
Today, we are celebrating our Back to School Sunday. And the name of this message is, They Learned the Way by Watching Us. And we are looking at the teachings of Proverbs 22, verse 6, that reminds us of something we need to be aware. This verse, it does not just give advice. It is a calling. It's that time. Back to school. As the school doors open, may your hearts also open. Willing to shine God's love. To share God's joy.
To learn and grow. May friendships multiply. And smiles be abundant. Listen for God's calling. You're created for something great. Blessings to this new chapter. We can't wait to see what this year brings. New adventures await you. Hi, my name is Camilla. Our scripture reading is from Proverbs chapter 22, verse 6. You are welcome to follow along with the physical Bible. Search the table of contents for the corresponding page number. Alternatively, you can download the Bible app or visit Bible.com.
Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs is a collection of wisdom saying, traditionally attributed to King Solomon and meant to teach people how to live well, make wise choices, and honor God in everyday life. So let's find out what Proverbs 22.6 actually teaches. And the first thing is the meaning of train.
The word train in the proverb comes from the Hebrew word hanok, which means to train, dedicate, or initiate toward a purpose. It is the same word used to dedicate a house or a temple in the Old Testament, and you can see that in these two verses. And that makes this training intentional, purposeful, and holy. And because this verb is an imperative verb, it is a commandment that leads us to a focused initiation toward a goal, not just teaching information. For us, training implies repetition. Then, this proverb also tells us how this training needs to be done.
Through repetition, through daily steps, through walking the path again and again. So training is not just something we say once. It is something we repeat and model daily. This leads us to the next point. Formation through repetition. Recently, I went for a walk on a trail I have never taken before.
After a few minutes, I noticed something. The person leading the way was trying to find a familiar trail, but ended up taking a different path. And it reminded me of something true about life in the Yukon. You don't learn a trail by reading a map. You learn it by walking it again and again, usually with someone who already knows the way.
You learn where the ground is uneven, where the creek runs high, where bears might appear. And children learn the right path the same way through consistent steps, repeated guidance, and trusted example leading the way. From what we have learned about training, we can see that in Proverbs, to train a child means to dedicate them toward their God-given purpose. That means... that this verse is telling us something important about our role as parents.
And this proverb says, train up a child. And this is not passive. God assumes parents are his instruments for shaping the next generation. Early formation matters because values, habits, and worldview are modeled long before adulthood. The patterns formed in childhood tend to last, not because of habits are repeated, but as a spiritual truth about how God uses early instruction to strengthen a person's heart.
What is sown in childhood becomes the foundation for adult life decision. Timothy provides a clear biblical example when Paul reminds him that the faith first lived out by his grandma and then by his mom had been passed on to him and that from a child he had known the holy scriptures. If you want to read about it, it is in 2 Timothy 1, verse 5, or chapter 3, verses 14 to 15. And the instruction, an example he received early in life, became part of the spiritual foundation from which he later served Christ as an adult. The second one, early formation has long-term influence. And the Proverbs continues and says, in the way he shall go.
And this sentence implies guiding children according to God's truth and reminds us that every child has a God-given design, which is the particular way that God has created them, their temperament, their gifts, and their unique calling. And our role is not to force them into a mold, but to guide them according to the path God has already placed within them. The long-term influence in their lives requires faith, and that faith must be visible at home, lived out in kindness, honesty, respect, and consistency. Children learn who God is by watching how we as adults live our faith. It is like when you teach a child to paddle. You start near the shore where the water is calm. Those early strokes feel small, but they become the habits they rely on later in deeper water.
In the same way, the small, consistent moments of kindness, honesty, and respect at home become the spiritual instinct children carry with them for life. And not surprisingly, modern research affects what Scripture has taught for centuries. And the basis of teaching the proverb lines up with modern wisdom about development and is called, in psychology, authoritative parenting. All this research shows that early patterns, consistent modeling, warm guidance shapes long-term behavior. Scripture and psychology agree. Children become what they repeatedly see, proving the timelessness of this biblical principle. And that just gets better. Hear this out. Proverbs teach us to guide children in the way they should go.
But Scripture reveals that Jesus himself is the way, as we can find in John 14, verse 6, where Jesus says, and these are Jesus' words, I am the way and the truth and the life. And this means the goal of training is not merely good behavior, strong character, or wise decision-making. It is ultimately leading children toward Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment of all wisdom in Proverbs. He embodies the path we want our children to walk. His compassion, His truth, His courage, His obedience, and His love. Parents dedicate children to a path, but Jesus is the one who walks the path with them. He is the one who shapes their hearts long after our influence disappears. He is the one who keeps them when they are grown. He is the one who calls them, guides them, and transforms them.
So, Proverbs 22.6 is not just a parenting principle. It is a gospel invitation. We train children in the way and Jesus becomes the way they learn to follow. Seeing the Proverbs through Jesus help us understand how children experience this training in their lives. When this verse is applied with wisdom, gentleness, and consistency, a child experiences. Safety.
Children succeed when they know they are protected, understood, and not alone through a clear path and loving guidance because parents don't just set boundaries. They walk alongside their children, showing them how to navigate life with wisdom and confidence. Belonging. The deep need. Every child and adult has to feel rooted, known, and safe, not just believing, but practicing together daily rhythm of kindness, honesty, respect, and consistency.
encouragement, not just praise, but the kind of support that helps a child grow by recognizing how God wire them and lead them in ways that fit their temperament, gifts, and callings. coherence, the alignment between what we say and what we do, the values lived daily, not just spoken, the idea that children and adults learn truth through consistent practice, not occasional statements, and purpose, confidence that God has a path for them.
Today, we are celebrating our Back to School Sunday, and the teachings of Proverbs 22.6 is this. Children need someone to guide them as they learn the way. And Proverbs reminds us of something that may never be written on a school board. They learn the way by watching us. They learn what honesty looks like when they see us tell the truth. They learn what kindness looks like when they experience it at home. They learn what forgiveness looks like when we forgive. They learn.
what faith looks like when they see us, trust God in difficult moments. And this is so important because there will be paths our children will walk that we have never walked before. There will be decisions we cannot make for them, challenges we cannot remove, and seasons where we will not know exactly what lies around the next corner. That is why our hope cannot ultimately rest in our ability to guide them perfectly.
Our hope is in Jesus. We can teach them the path, but Jesus is the way. We can walk beside them for some time, but Jesus promises to walk with them always. We can shape, guide, encourage, and pray, but ultimately their lives belong in the hands of the one who created them, knows them, calls them, and loves them. As we close today, perhaps you are thinking, what will they learn this year at school? But I want you to think about this. What are they learning from the way we live? So let's walk with them. Let's point them toward Jesus. And let's trust the one who is not only familiar with the trial, but who knows exactly what it means. We train them in the way, but Jesus is the way. Let's pray.
Father, thank you for the gift of our children and for the new seasons ahead. In all the routines and responsibilities, help us remember that our main calling is to shape their hearts. Jesus, you are the way. As we guide our children, lead them toward you, walk with them when we cannot, and form in them the character, wisdom, and faith that only you can give. Holy Spirit, gives us patience, consistency, and gentleness.
Help us model the life we want them to learn and make our homes places of safety, belonging, and purpose. Bless every family as we step into this school year. In your name, amen. Thank you for joining us today to our Back to School Sunday. I would like to invite you to connect with Mountain View Church at mountainview.church.com or through social media at Mountain View Whitehorse. Also, consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. Turn on the notification and you'll see the new videos every week.
If you have kids, we offer a kids' program called Basecamp. During our three services, and for an online option, you can visit mountainview.church slash basecamp to download the video lessons and activities. As summer is almost over, we are still looking for leadership over junior youth. So, if you are interested, this is your calling. Contact Pastor Jeremy at jeremy at mountainview.church. And also, we are happy to mention that our senior youth will be led by Ruben Kicker this year. Please stay tuned for more information.
Hey everyone, it's Ruben Kickert here with a quick update for you all. As some of you have known, I have been volunteering with senior youth for the past couple years and it's been such a great experience getting to know and build relationships with our older youth. An opportunity has come up and I'm excited to share that I'll now be serving as the senior youth ministry leader. I'm really looking forward to what's ahead and continuing to build those relationships with our senior youth and I'm excited to see how God will work through this ministry and the team we build around it. That being said, I'd love to have a few more volunteers join me, whether you have lots of experience or none at all.
We'd love to have you on the team. It's a great time and we have some genuinely awesome kids. So even if you're just curious or if you have questions about what being involved would look like, please come find me and let's have a chat. I'd love to talk to you about it and answer any questions you may have. All right, looking forward to what's ahead.
Hey Mountain View, we're looking for leaders. We currently have three ministry lead positions open right now. The first is our junior youth lead, overseeing our middle school ministry. The second is young adults lead, overseeing monthly community events for 18 to 35 year olds. And lastly, we're looking for a co-lead to organize and oversee our outreach events throughout this year. If you're interested, please drop me a message at jeremy at mountainview.church. Now, if leading a ministry isn't your call, but you're still willing to serve, we have dozens of opportunities and we would love for you to join us.
Head on over to mountainview.church.serve for all the details related to volunteering here at Mountain View Church. Next up, we're gearing for an interdenominational event being held right here at Mountain View on September 13th at 6.30 p.m. This is going to be a launch event in cooperation with InterVarsity Ministries, seeking support for a campus ministry to reach students with the gospel at UConn University. All are welcome to attend, but I'm told that students are encouraged to attend. Moving on, we have a variety of community groups that we're relaunching this week.
Visit mountainview.church slash community to read through the group options for men, women, or open groups. And if you're feeling called to facilitate a group, please contact me directly at jeremy at mountainview.church. Now, take a few minutes with us. Here's what is new. And come back next week. Pastor Jeremy will be launching our new Fall 2026 series. Everybody worship something. Let's talk about it. Hope to see you here.
If you prayed to receive Jesus today or would like to connect with our church community, visit mountainview.church and click the connect link. If this podcast and radio ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us or making a tax-deductible donation at mountainview.church. Thanks for listening to Mountain View Church Audio. Join us next week for more Christ-centric teaching from the Wilderness City of Whitehorse UConn.