In 1910, there were 83,000 divorces in America. By 1982, there were 1.2 million. Today, half of all marriages end in divorce — and 37% of children from divorced homes deal with depression, anger, drug abuse, and a deep unremitting neediness. The family is under attack. And it doesn't take much to figure out who's behind it.

In this message from our series "Fullness," Pastor Ron opens Ephesians 6:1–4 and covers God's design for both children and parents — and what it looks like in practice.

The Act of Obedience: Children, obey your parents in the Lord — for this is right. Not a suggestion, not a feeling, a command. The word children (tecna) means offspring, so anyone living under their parents' roof is called to obedience. The fifth commandment comes with a promise: a quality of life and a quantity of life for those who honor their parents.

The Attitude of Honor: Obedience is the act; honor is the attitude behind it. The little girl who was put in her car seat said, "Daddy, I may be sitting on the outside, but I'm standing on the inside." God wants the heart, not just the outward compliance. And that honor carries beyond the home — even into caring for aging parents.

Don't Provoke Your Children: Parents have a negative command and a positive one. The negative: don't exasperate them. Ten ways to do that include never spending time with them, comparing them to siblings, depreciating their worth, pushing achievement, and never communicating love. The root of most of it is neglect.

Bring Them Up in the Lord: The positive command — training (discipline) and admonition (verbal instruction). All day, every day, as you sit, walk, rise, and lie down. Devotion, discipline, and weaving God into every life situation.