LUK 1:17. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

EPH 6:4. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

COL 3:21. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

1TH 2:7. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

TIT 2:4. That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

B. Patience mercy & truth are the most effective:

EPH 6:4. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

1TH 2:11. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

ROM 2:4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

PRO 16:6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

C. Each child is different; seek God how to train & discipline:

JDG 13:12. And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?

LUK 12:47. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

LUK 12:48. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

D. The Scriptural admonition to chastise naughty children:

PRO 13:24. He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

PRO 19:18. Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

PRO 22:15. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

PRO 23:13. Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

PRO 29:17. Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

E. Responsible Christians required to restrain their children:

1TI 3:4. One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

1TI 3:12. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

TIT 1:6. If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

GAL 4:1. Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

GAL 4:2. But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

F. When children are not corrected or restrained:

1SA 2:22. Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

1SA 2:23. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

1SA 2:24. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD's people to transgress.

1SA 2:25. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

1SA 3:13. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

1KI 1:1. Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

1KI 1:5. Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

1KI 1:6. And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.

1KI 1:16. And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?

1KI 1:17. And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

1KI 1:18. And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:

1KI 1:19. And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.

1KI 1:20. And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

1KI 1:21. Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

PRO 29:15. The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

LUK 15:12. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

LUK 15:13. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

G. Such a lack of discipline means a lack of fearing God:

1SA 2:29. Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

1SA 2:30. Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

1SA 2:12. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

1SA 2:13. And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

1SA 2:14. And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

1SA 2:15. Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

1SA 2:16. And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

1SA 2:17. Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

H. Even with right training some children will go wrong:

1SA 8:1. And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

1SA 8:2. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

1SA 8:3. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

1SA 8:5. And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

MAR 13:12. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

MAR 13:13. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

MAT 24:10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

PRO 2:16. To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

PRO 2:17. Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

PRO 2:18. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

I. Partiality & favouritism cause problems:

GEN 25:27. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

GEN 25:28. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

GEN 27:1. And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.

GEN 27:2. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

GEN 27:3. Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

GEN 27:4. And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

GEN 27:5. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

GEN 27:6. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

GEN 27:7. Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.

GEN 27:8. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

GEN 27:9. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

GEN 27:10. And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

GEN 27:11. And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

GEN 27:12. My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

GEN 27:13. And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

GEN 27:14. And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

GEN 27:15. And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

GEN 27:16. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

GEN 27:17. And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

GEN 27:18. And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

GEN 37:3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.