Honor Your Father and Mother
Month 10: Loving One Another · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Ephesians 6:1–3 & Exodus 20:12
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.” — Ephesians 6:1-3
12 Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. — Exodus 20:12
Memory Verse
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”— Ephesians 6:1 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Matthew 23–24
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
Long ago at Mount Sinai, God gave Moses ten commandments carved in stone. Nine of them tell us how to treat God and others. But the fifth one is special. "Honor your father and mother" (). It is the very first command that comes with a promise attached. The promise is a long, blessed life in the land God gives. God cares so much about how children treat their parents that He wrote it into the foundation of how His people were to live. Family is not a small thing to God. It's where He plants His blessing.
Centuries later, Paul picks up that same command and writes it to families in the church at Ephesus. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right" (). Notice those three little words, in the Lord. Obeying isn't just about keeping a parent happy. It's about loving and trusting Jesus, who put your mom and dad in your life on purpose. When you honor your parents, you are practicing the same trust you'll one day give freely to God. It is right. It fits the way God designed His world to work. And it is one of the truest ways a child can love.
Around the Table
God made a special rule: love your mom and dad by listening to them. That makes God smile!
Let's do it: Give Mom or Dad a big hug and say, "I'll be a good listener!"
"Honor" means treating your parents as important and worth listening to, even when you'd rather not.
Let's talk: What's one thing that's hard to obey? Why do you think God still asks it?
The fifth commandment is the first one with a promise (). Honoring parents is tied to God's blessing.
Let's go deeper: "In the Lord" means we obey for Jesus' sake. How does that turn obeying from a chore into worship?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's one rule in our house that seemed unfair at first but turned out to be for your good?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some people say right and wrong are just made-up human opinions. But almost every culture across history has felt that children ought to honor their parents. That points to a real moral law written by a real Lawgiver (). And that is exactly what claims.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The fifth commandment sits on a hinge. It bridges our duty to God and our duty to people. That's because the family is the first place a child learns that authority can be loving and trustworthy. How your children experience your leadership quietly shapes how they'll later imagine God's. That's a sobering, grace-filled responsibility. You are not merely managing behavior. You are giving them a working picture of a Father worth obeying. So lead in a way that makes obedience feel safe, not crushing. Be firm and warm, the way our Father leads us. Obedience that flows from being loved lasts. Obedience squeezed out by fear does not.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for giving us a family on purpose. Help our children honor us. And help us lead them gently, the way You lead us. Make our home a place where obeying flows from love. In Jesus' name, amen."
When I honor my parents, I'm practicing the trust I give to God.