Little children cannot understand all the table talk of their elders, yet in enlightened homes children learn to sit nicely at the table, learn to eat quietly, and to be cheerful and happy in the fellowship of older people without disturbing the happiness of the family or embarrassing guests. Certainly the same principle obtains in the matter of public worship. Do not wait until the child understands all about theology, or can understand the discourse of the pastor before you take him to church. - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 312]
The aim of parents and of the Sunday School ought to be to establish such a habit of regular Sunday School and church attendance that the child will never be willing to miss the Christian fellowship, the spiritual refreshing, and the worship of God each Sunday in his church, or wherever he may be. - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 313]
It is equally important that the child should feel that the church comes before the school, comes before play, comes before visiting. Even in vacation time a child should be taught very carefully to maintain a custom of attending church, even if it must be away from the home church. - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 313]
Parents should not send the children to Sunday School or church alone. A child may go to church and feel that the Sunday School and church service are all right for a child, but the boy will think, "When I get big like Dad, I will stay at home as he does, or play golf, or go fishing on Sunday." The father and mother must set the example in worshipful attendance, in happy fellowship at the church, in liberal giving. - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 313-314]
Make sure that the church is always "talked up" at home. How many parents have ruined the influence of the church over their own children by their careless criticism of the minister, of some church official, or of Christians who attend the services! Let it always be understood that the church, while not perfect, is God's own institution, and that a certain reverence is due to any true house of God and any true minister of God. Let it be understood that ministers are human, but that as a class they are the cleanest and most unselfish set of men on earth, and that ministers ought be defended by godly people everywhere. - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 314]
It is true, as has been said a million times, no doubt, that, "There are too many hypocrites in the church." Since the church is full of human beings, naturally that is true. There are also too many hypocrites in the lodges, too many hypocrites in business, too many hypocrites in the schools. Judas Iscariot was a hypocrite among the first twelve apostles. And there are no doubt many insincere people in churches today, many unconverted people. But the fact yet remains that any child will be better influenced on the whole by a church where the gospel is preached and the Bible is believed than he will be in the public school or by his playmates. It is wicked and foolish and disastrous to criticize and break down the confidence of a child in God's institution, the church, which ought to be to him such a blessing and comfort and strength, such a medium of Christian cooperation and fellowship and service. Stand by the church. Do not criticize it before the children! - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 314]
Put the church before the school. Instead of leaving the children at home to do their lessons on Sunday night, or on week nights when revival services or Bible conferences or prayer services are on at the church, let the children postpone their lessons and come to the house of God. What they ill get by the gospel preaching, the sweet singing, and by seeing souls saved in the church will be worth more to them than anything they would learn in school. That their souls may be saved if they are not already Christians, and that their hearts may be revived if they are Christians, it is important that young people regularly attend the house of God, that they attend revival services and Bible conference programs. Let the church, after the home, be first in the heart and mind of the child. It is rare that children cannot do their necessary school work and yet have time for the services at the church. But let amusement and social affairs and even the necessary work of the schools come second to that of the church. Let the children be taught, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33). - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 314-315]
The world never burned a casual Christian at the stake. - John R. Rice [according to azquotes]
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