John K. Jenkins Sr - Jesus' Keys to Raising Children

I want to be real with anyone in here who can resonate with me when I say that raising kids is no joke. Wow, yeah, that's a fact-raising kids is not an easy thing to do. As a matter of fact, they will drive me crazy. I thought I would get a few amens right there. They can make you lose your mind! I never cursed until I had kids. Yeah, it's a constant; it just one day came out from nowhere , and then I found myself saying, "Where did that come from ?" It's those kids who will drive me crazy, but I'm grateful that I believe that God gives you the grace you need to parent your kids. God will give you grace! Can I get an amen right there? Does anybody know that God helps you from losing your cool with your kids? Because they figure out all the buttons to push . They know what to say and do to drive you up a wall. You don't have to teach them to lie ; you don't have to teach them to steal; you don't have to teach them to disobey. It's in them ; it seems to be a part of their nature . My kids-some of y'all know I have six children-six! And each one of them has tested me at some point in their lives! I'll talk about Natalie; my fifth child , Natalie. She 's been a joy; I mean she's wonderful! She 's going to Drexel next year, thank God! She graduates on Friday and goes to Drexel . I'm very proud of her. She 's the one out of all our kids who says to us when she sees the rest of us acting up, "Y 'all are supposed to be Christians!" That 's one out of six. The others have pushed me and tested me, and God had to give me grace. He had to help me with them! He had to help me when my oldest daughter, Sarah-I won't call her by name, but one time, shortly after she got her license , I asked her to take her brother to football practice. She said to me , "Sit down; why can't you take him?" But God gave me grace ; she's still here! Y'all see, she's still here! Look at that ! God gave me grace. Oh, and Joshua, who is sitting over here, decided to climb in the window at two o'clock in the morning-the one window that the alarm on the house didn't work! That one window! They figured out that the alarm didn't work on that window, and here he comes , climbing in at two or three o'clock in the morning! Amen! But listen , let me tell you something about that moment. How do I describe it ? When he came through the window and looked up and saw his father standing there-priceless! But he's still here; I didn't harm him! He's still here! Yeah, and then there 's my daughter, who is sitting over here. She was singing praise and worship today, and then decided to engage in fornication and got pregnant. Two lives almost got lost on that one , but God gave me grace! I wish I had some people who could identify with me and what it feels like to have children behave in a way you did not raise them! So, y'all think the preacher's kids should somehow be different from your kids, but my kids are just like your kids! My kids think they reach a point in life where they know more than you . I promise you, it's going to happen. They reach a stage where they don't have to be taught anything; nobody has to teach them-it comes naturally . It comes naturally where they start "smelling themselves." And the problem with them smelling themselves is they think they smell good! Come on, talk back, the miracles! They're stinking up the whole place, but they think it smells good! But I'm telling you, God gave me grace. God gave me grace! God gave me grace! So, my fourth child, Jimmy, he had his issues- he has the strongest will of all the kids. Strong-willed! I mean , if we had had Jimmy first, we wouldn't have had any more kids. He would have been the only child! Can y'all relate? Any of you have a child like that? That child ! Some of y'all didn 't have more kids because you had a Jimmy first. Such a strong-willed child ! My youngest child, Johnny Jr., I thought that perhaps by the time we had the sixth child, we had finally gotten it right. Johnny has been a great child! Johnny is the child who , when I called him, would come running to me , "Yes, sir!" I loved it! It was wonderful! "Johnny, yes, sir!" Oh my God, where did you come from? But he grew out of that stage. Johnny ! Johnny! John Jr.! I know you hate me calling you boy! It disappeared!