Expanded Table of Contents

Dedications

 

A Note to the Reader

 

Introduction

May God’s Kingdom Come on This Earth

 

CHAPTER ONE  Dishonoring   

Today’s 5th Commandment

    Laura’s Story

    Brad’s Story

    Dana’s Story

    Mario’s Story

 

CHAPTER TWO  An Adult Commandment

The Foundation of Christian Families

    Setting Aside the Commandment

    Two Types of Dishonoring

    A Contemporary Look at Today’s Prodigal

    Envy and Dishonor

    Avoiding Regrets By Honoring

 

CHAPTER THREE  What Honoring Parents Looks Like

Positioning Yourself to Receive the Promise

    Honoring Is Not Obeying

    Giving Honor Where Honor Is Due

    Three Actions That Everyone Can Do                     

          I. Maintaining a Connection

          II. Understand the Relationship

          III. Honoring By Being Kind

 

CHAPTER FOUR - Honoring Imperfect Parents

The Blessing of Imperfect Parents  

    Parents Want to Be Perfect   

    All Parents Make Mistakes

    Change Your Perspective

          1. Have an adult’s perspective

          2. Have an objective perspective

          3. Have a correct perspective

          4. Have a Biblical perspective

          5. Have an honest perspective

          6. Have God’s realist perspective

    Loving the imperfect

    What have you done for me lately

    Special relationships can hurt

 

CHAPTER FIVE  The Benefits of the Promise

Prospering In Every Season of Life

    1. Gaining the perspective of the aged

    2. Having children who know how to honor you

    3. Avoid getting stuck

    4. Have a happy life

    5. Be free from past anguish

    6. Having someone who speaks in season

    7. Live a life that is pleasing to God

 

CHAPTER SIX  Boundaries and Troubled Families

Living in the Real World

    Setting healthy boundaries

    Who is your father?

    Fathers and mothers in the Lord

    Forced parental relationships

    When you are the parent of your parent

    Taking sides and bitter divorces

    When you can’t find anything to honor

    Forced honor by controlling parents

    Creating distance while honoring

 

CHAPTER SEVEN Practical Ways of Honoring Parents

Public Actions and Heart Attitudes

 

Part I. Public acts of honor

    1. Honoring by public thankfulness

    2. Write a tribute and read it publicly

    3. Honoring by covering sins - speaking highly

    4. Honoring by planning times to remember

    5. Honoring with cards, gifts, and phone calls

    6. Honoring with support and help

 

Part II. Honoring with your heart attitudes

    7. Honoring by giving the benefit of the doubt

    8. Honoring by avoiding negativity

    9. Honor your parents by never pulling rank

    10. Honor by respecting their opinions

    11. Honor by loving them into the Kingdom

    12. Honor your parents by being a Peacemaker

 

CHAPTER EIGHT The Blessing of Inheritance

Sacrificing for the next generation

    1st Part of the promise - A prolonged life

    2nd Part of the promise - A good life

          Finding your dream and passion the right way

     3rd Part of the promise – 3 areas of inheritance

          A. Spiritual inheritance

          B. Personality or emotional inheritance

          C. Physical inheritance

     The times we live

     Breaking the curse and finding your inheritance

 

A Final Word

 

Appendix 1

Extreme Cases of Parental Failure

Abandonment and abuse

 

Appendix II

Memories of My Dad On Father’s Day 2011

 

Appendix III

The Pain of Disappointment - Defining Your Expectations

 

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