Parenting Seminar 2026 - "God's Family Get Together" by Glenn Hitchcock

Of the Lord's people here, Cumberland Trace

Church. Now that

should be better. One of the things that I

uniquely appreciate about the Lord's people on the Lord's Day,

we get to meet God each week around

his table to commemorate the

death of the greatest character, the greatest person that

ever lived. Out of the providential

abundance of We are able to give

as we've been prospered, cheerfully— not

tearfully, but cheerfully— to the Lord.

On this unique day, we're able to speak,

teach, and edify one another in psalms, hymns,

and spiritual songs. That's why we don't

need instrumental music, mechanical instruments of music, because We have

a heart, and on that heart we're able

to speak, to teach, and edify one another the way God

has so commanded. On this unique day,

the Lord's Day, we're able to

teach from the Holy Scriptures those

truths that will help us as families to stay

bonded together, For those of us who are not Christian—

for those who are not Christians to be able to come to faith by

the hearing of the Word of God, to preach

the truth in love, and to be able

to edify one another through the Word,

and to call upon God in prayer that he can hear our

petitions and and put the

kingdom first, living and

communicating and work with one another,

that our children may be able to grow up in

the fear and admonition of the Lord, where he

comes first. Someone asked me, now you never asked for the answer

of the question you asked. Talked about the TL;DR

question. That was, what can you say good

about your children that doesn't

involve, well, they obey, they do what I tell them to do?

What else can you say about them? Well, the ultimate

goal of the Christian family is for us all to say that

our children love the Lord.

And our quest as Christian parents is

to so live our lives, to so demonstrate our lives,

and to disciple our children to

the point that one day not only will it

be said of you about your child, but even

God will say, well done, thy good and faithful servant,

enter into the joy of my kingdom. That's what we live for.

So let's get together and talk about the family of God in another

way, altogether somewhat similar

and somewhat differently.

I want to go to John chapter 17, verses 20

John 17:20–23

through 23. The foundation to

end all struggles in this world is was

prayed by the greatest hero of the world,

Jesus Christ. His prayer for unity.

In verse number 20, he says, I do not pray for these alone.

This is all-encompassing. He is keeping in

his heart the souls that are lost, the souls that

are confused, the families that are scattered.

So this is a prayer of unity. It is

also to the people, a prayer that they

might unite, but also for those who will

believe on me through their word.

It's enlisting all those to submit to divine

authority. Now you pardon me as I look this way

some. I can look that way, but when you're old like I am,

you got to look at something that's a little bigger. So Hang with me.

They're all right. The pattern of unity: that

they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

that they also may be one in us. It's embracing,

uniquely formulated to every soul under

God's creation. The purpose of unity: why? That they

may believe that you sent me.

The preparation of unity. And the glory which you gave

me I have given them, that they may be one just

as we are one— I in them and you in me— that they may

be made perfect in one, that the world may know that you have sent me

and have loved them as you love me.

God envisions authority being

intervened over the whole world.

Thus all men and women are amenable to the authority,

to the Word of God. If this world

will find unity, if this world will find peace,

it will be because of the Word of God. But people struggle.

Why? Because of lack of vision.

They have no strategy. They struggle

due to worldly division. The devil's in the mix.

The devil's trying to keep you from submitting

to his will. The thief cometh not but for

to steal and to kill and destroy. I am come that you might have life

and have it more abundantly. This is Jesus contrasting himself from

Satan. Satan brings division. People struggle due to

lack of direction. They have no shepherd that they wish to

follow. They have a shepherd. But not one that they wish to follow.

And that one, if they do follow him, is taking them in

the wrong direction. But we know that God has

a Good Shepherd, and the Good Shepherd leads his

people. People struggle due to lack of spiritual growth,

and they ask a lot of questions because they don't know the Scriptures.

And so the need for study— and people struggle due to lack of resources.

And God, who's the, who's the provider of all spiritual blessings,

can give them that if they but yet yield to him.

So God's family, being a team here today,

being able to worship God uniquely in the format that we are doing

today, constitute God's body on

this earth, the Church of Christ. Paul says, unto me, who am less than the

least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles

what? The unsearchable riches of Christ.

And he talks about the manifold wisdom of God and the church,

which is the manifold wisdom of God. And the church is the manifold

wisdom of God as displayed in our text,

Ephesians 3. Now you may want to know why I asked for Psalm 27.

The truth be known, brothers, I— it was Psalm 127,

but Psalm 27 is good. I enjoyed that. I enjoyed that,

and there's some truth to that too. The manifold wisdom of God displayed here

is found in the church. He accomplished it in Jesus

Christ our Lord. This is the church,

the many sides of the church. And I presented some of this material

before while I was here with you at Equip, so I won't labor it too

long, but I do want to talk about the dynamic

unity of of the church as

it relates to the wisdom of God. God's people come together in

one family to be able to do something that is special and

unique, and that's to display to the world that

we are one in Christ Jesus and that

it's no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me.

Galatians 2 and verse 20. The manifold

or the many-sided wisdom of God might be made known as it is unfold

in the working of his church,

starting first with the, the law of

pardon. Man has a need for salvation,

folks. Families have a need for direction.

That need for salvation, that need of direction comes through

the love of God. There's 2 sides involved.

There's God's side, it's known as grace. Man's side, which is known as

obedience. God has done his part.

The law of pardon requires us who haven't obeyed the

gospel to do our part. Obedience being

man's part, a decision thus is required.

Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters in Christ,

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. Yes,

but to that end, we must obey the will of his only Son.

John 14:15. We must go through

John 14:15

water. We must go through repentance.

We must go through gospel obedience in order to

be saved. The alternative is damnation.

We do not wish that. We want to be delivered from our sins.

That's the law of pardon. A person can

play around with their religion, a person

can practice false religion, but a person cannot be

pardoned until they are delivered from their sins.

You cannot be saved in your sins, you have to be saved out of your

sins. And Titus says, for the grace

of God that bringeth salvation has appeared unto all men.

And grace teaches us some things: to deny ungodliness,

to deny worldly lusts,

and to live soberly, righteously, godly in this present world.

Don't tell me you can't live soberly, righteously, and godly when

God is supporting you. The law of pardon says this

is available to you. And when you obey the

law of pardon, guess what? God does something

marvelous. The Bible says that

God will add you to his church. Acts 2 and verse

47, praising God and having faith with all the people, the Lord added to the

church daily those who are being saved. In 1

Corinthians 12, for a moment, let's go there for a second. 1 Corinthians chapter

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

12, because in 1 Corinthians 12 we have what's known as the law of placement.

That's saying that— verse 18,

but now God has set the members, each one of them in the body,

just as he pleased.

Notice, he pleased. It's not as the preacher pleased or the elders

pleased or, or your pastor pleased,

but as it pleased God. This is

a dynamic part of unity known as the

law of placement. After you

heard the word, after you repented of your sins,

after you confess the name of Christ with your mouth before men,

after you've been baptized in water to have your sins washed away,

God adds you or places you in the body of known

as his church.

This church represents a place of belonging.

When our membership is placed in the Lord's church, we belong here.

When we moved in 1977 from Newport

News, Virginia to Oklahoma City,

there were a lot of congregations there. And we

went to— and we had gone to Moore, Oklahoma, and we

placed our membership with the congregation there.

The second week after we placed our membership there, someone came up to us and

said, hi, I'm Brother So-and-so

and this is my wife So-and-so. Are you visiting with us?

I said, you know, no ma'am, I belong here.

I'm your brother. This is my wife. She's your sister.

And they say, oh, well, I haven't seen you before.

But the law of placement says we belong here.

We're unfamiliar because we haven't been here for long, but we belong here.

You know, our college students are back this week. Isn't that right? Guess what?

They belong here. They belong here. Law of

placement says so. Our college kids are coming back in Hampton

where we, where we, uh, worship from

Hampton University, William Mary, Old Dominion University.

A number of other universities are there, but they belong

in that congregation when they're there. They place their membership.

It's about diversity, and our diversity is our strength.

We have a multi-number— a

multitude of different people Diversities of faces and

races, paychecks and all that, but we are all

one in Christ. Amen. And if

God didn't place it in there, then it does not belong.

I don't have to argue about who's a member of the Lord's church. I can

just open up my Bible and know that. This is a lot of placement,

but I got to move on because you want to go and eat today.

Once I'm added to the body of Christ, In the law of placement,

I have the law of purpose. I'm here for a reason.

The Bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians chapter 12,

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

look at verse 19. And if

they were all one— well, back up at verse 18. But now God has set

the members, each of them in the body, just as it pleased,

as he pleased. And if they were all one member, where would

be the body— where would the body be? But now

indeed there are many members, yet one body.

And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you,

nor again the head to the

feet, I have no need of you. Let me make it simple.

Every part of the body of Christ has a purpose.

I can't be a knee trying to look out and see what people are doing.

I don't have that capacity. The eye does that. My big toe

cannot take me places where my

head can. My big toe is designed to do what

it's supposed to do. There are no unimportant members

in the body of Christ. Every member has a purpose.

The primary purpose, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters in Christ,

is to glorify God.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we've been bought

1 Corinthians 6:19–20

with a price, therefore we're to glorify God. That's my primary

purpose in life, to glorify God. And there are no

unnecessary members in this unique

family of God. Every member has a purpose.

Isn't it wonderful to know that I can come to God's

table every Sunday meet with God around

the Lord's tables, memorialize the death of Christ,

and have a purpose to worship him, to glorify

him. By living for him, I glorify him. I let my light shine.

My children see it, my neighbors see it, my enemies see it.

And I'm altogether trying to do more to try to better myself.

People ask me, how am I doing? I said Pray for me. I'm doing all

right. I'm mean as ever. Pray for me. That means I mean to do

better today than I did yesterday, so pray for me.

And folks say, well, that, that's, that's pretty good. I'm always trying to

do better than I did yesterday. Why? I have

a purpose to glorify God.

There's also the understanding that

when I know my place because

I've been pardoned, and I know my purpose,

I can have peace doing what God has commanded

me to do. If I'm that elbow,

I'm doing what elbows do. Don't your elbow do that?

See that? I'm doing what the elbow does.

Is that elbow having any problem doing that? No. That's the

law of peace. He's so busy doing his job, he doesn't

have time to tear up the church. Hello,

that's the law of peace. We have unified

members working in harmony with one another like this congregation seeks

to continue to do, directed by an authoritative head,

disciplined by the Word. There's no cause for alarm. Why?

Because everyone cares for one another. Have peace.

Look at 1 Corinthians verse 25.

But our presentable parts have no need, but God composed

the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks,

that there be no schism in the body, but that the

members should have the same care one

for another. Another.

No need to panic, no confusion.

Why? There's harmony. The elbow is doing its job,

the fingers are doing their job, the head's doing its job, the feet are doing

its job. We're all working in harmony, in concert with the

Word of God, to his glory. Isn't that beautiful?

That's the law of peace. Now folks,

that's my introduction. I'm still gonna get you out on time.

All that said to get to the law of perseverance,

because this is, this is where problems ensue with a lot of our

brothers and sisters in Christ. The law of perseverance

says we are strong when we're united.

We're strong as we study God's Word and mature.

We have our defense against struggles.

That's the Word of God. When we come together collectively to deal

with problems as God's SWAT team— and I said this morning, if you have problems,

you need to humble yourself before

God and your brethren and seek the help

of your godly elders or godly men

and women who can help you, people that you feel bonded and trust.

And let them work with you, because the devil is busy.

The devil is as a roaring lion. He seeks to devour the

body of Christ. Our law that

works against the devil is the law of perseverance.

We strive through struggles, we strive through problems, we strive

through issues because we're not alone in this.

God who cares for us goes ahead of us.

God who loves us is there with us. The head is

directing each member to continue to work harmoniously as

we struggle through sin, as we struggle through temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13. And so these are

1 Corinthians 10:13

some of the things that I want to talk about. The law of perseverance instructs

us through struggles. We don't suffer

as a busybody. We don't suffer as a murderer. We don't suffer as anything

other than a Christian, because through that name we glorify God.

The law of perseverance says Christians are family.

We're a team against adversity. We know

that our place is where we belong in the church.

Sadly to say this, and I'm gonna say this because it needs

to be said, sometimes brothers

and sisters who have problems will run away from the body of Christ rather

than run to the body of Christ. Christ.

Something that happened in our life and they just quit.

What's the problem? I've got a lot of problems. I don't think you

can handle it. You have no problem that Jesus

and his family cannot handle together.

This is where you come to, not where you run from. And so

we belong here. The law of placement. We have purpose

and we are a dependent team because of the law of purpose.

We can know our peace because we

are producing within our lane.

We're working in our lane. We have peace. The law of productivity

or the law of peace. We're a care team.

No cause for alarm. When we know

perseverance, we're strong.

That's a dynamic concept of the

law of unity in the Church of Christ that keeps us

structurally sound and spiritually fortified

to fight against the devil. And so God

gives us practical ways who— those of us who know

of the law of perseverance Those who know their place,

who know their purpose, who know pardon.

God gives us adversity to direct us.

God gives us problems to inspect us, to correct us, to protect us,

and to perfect us. How is this possible?

Because we are members of the body of Christ.

We belong in the body. We have purpose in the

body. We know our place in the body.

We know about God's peace,

and there's nothing you can do to keep me from enjoying God's peace

because the law of perseverance says I'm not in this by myself.

I have my brother, Brother Hiram. I have my elders, Roger and others.

I have my brothers and sisters in Christ. When I fall down,

I hurt myself, I know God's family is going to respond. That's God's SWAT

team. They're gonna respond. Aren't you glad God

gives us adversity to direct us? Sometimes life can bog us down with

insignificant matters. We fail to put God first. I told you about KFC.

In ignorance, some attempt to serve 2 masters. God has the right

to light a chastening fire to direct movement in the proper

direction, and when he does, you're gonna know it.

Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, as do stripes the

inner depths of the heart. Proverbs 20 and verse 30.

So God gives us adversity,

allows us to have problems,

to direct us to a better path,

to move us in a direction that will glorify him rather than

glorify yourself or to honor Satan.

God gives us this adversity in such

a way that it impacts our human comfort zones. We don't like to

be moved off our comfort zones, do we? I have

a certain chair in the house. You know, when you're 6'7 and

you're broken down playing basketball for all these years and stuff, your bones

hurt, you got arthritis— I won't go into all that. Yeah,

you've got a favorite chair somewhere.

But when company comes,

you have to move somewhere else. But it's

temporary because I know what— they're gonna leave sooner or later. And when they leave,

I'm getting in my chair. So this

adversity may be momentary, but live with it.

Allow God to move you to a different place.

Satan is full of wiles, and God wants to direct us to

a place of healing. Hebrews chapter 12,

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

11 through 13. No chastening is good

for the present, but it has the effects that God intended

for it— to move us to a place of safety.

So God gives us adversity to also inspect us,

to remove the demerits in our lives that we can stand upright

as faithful Christians. Much like members in the military who must stand rigorous

inspections, the Christian armor is subject to inspection.

When I was in the Air Force, we had inspections. Part of

my problem was they didn't make some clothes long

enough to fit a tall guy like me, and I had some issues.

They got— they— my TI would say Shirt's too

short. I said, make one longer, sir, and I'll wear it.

But I wore what they issued.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations,

knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience

have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Adversity matures us. This impacts the free agency of Christian

compliance. No soldier in the Lord's army wants to receive a

demerit due to noncompliance. 1 Peter 5:6-9. God wants

1 Peter 5:6–9

us to submit to his will.

Adversity or problems are

brought our way to inspect us.

You have to have that proverbial checkup from the neck up.

So adversity is that mirror that we trust, that we must all

view. God cares enough to offer us the perfect law of liberty

to free us from the demerits of sinful conduct.

James says you've got to receive with

meekness and grab that word to save— to save your soul.

James says be swift to hear, slow to speak.

Tune in, tone down, and sweeten up. Why? Because the word shows

us where the demerits in our lives are,

and we need to cleanse ourselves accordingly.

He gives us adversity to correct us.

God will use problems to correct one's course. The course corrections

prevent apostasy among Christians. 2 Corinthians 13:5.

2 Corinthians 13:5

That's that checkup from the neck up. Therefore let

him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I have kept thy word.

God gives us problems, folks, to correct us.

It's good for me that I've been afflicted, that I might learn thy

statutes. The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands

of gold and silver. Psalm 119, verses 71 through

Psalms 119:71–72

72. God gives us problems under

the law of perseverance to protect us.

A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents one from

harming someone far more serious.

Consider the life of Joseph, who was sold by his own brothers into slavery in

Genesis 37. How did God protect Joseph?

First, he moved Joseph to a place of usefulness.

See, problems can move us. Joseph's life

was improved via tragedy. Thus, it increased his surrender before God.

Genesis 39:3-6.

Genesis 39:3–6

As a slave, God protected Joseph. As Joseph developed

his capacity for service, his humility and compliance to God was more important

than honor. So God gives

us problems to protect us.

When there are problematic delays in life,

trust the caring Father to protect us as we

covet or convert obstacles into opportunities.

When we see problems as obstacles

rather than opportunities, we stay

up, we stall, even as Christians.

And that's when some, when they stall, they leave the church rather

than come to the body of Christ. They leave.

Don't stall and fall. Get up and come.

Why? Because God loves you. You have a

support network that is uniquely qualified to support

you in every way, but you have to come. No one

can force you or coerce you to come. Joseph's timetable

for reunion with his family could have been problematic delay, but he never allowed

family matters to detour his walk with with

God. And that's the point.

You know, we have families that are single families,

we have nuclear families, we have blended families.

I have a friend who lives in Louisville, Tennessee— Louisville,

Kentucky. His wife died of

cancer. He remarried Not too long afterwards.

His wife— his daughter, his son, they both

cut him off. How dare

you marry someone after Mama died? You dishonor her past.

We won't have nothing to do with you. Well, the son came around eventually,

but the daughter won't allow

him— allow them to see his grandchildren.

All because she thinks

that she can control her parent.

That the problem is bigger than her father.

Her problem is bigger than her father's problem. The problem that you

dishonored my mother's legacy by remarrying. Now I know that's

kind of silly. Well, I'm gonna be honest with you. In Virginia, we call that

stupidity. And the college kids say, that's a YBD,

you big dummy. And that's indeed what

it is. Listen,

problematic delays should never allow family matters

to deter our walk with God. If you've

got a son or daughter, in-law, outlaw,

whatever the case may be, trying to control your adult

life, because of problems. You better

live and walk and

trust God because you signed that Declaration

of Dependence with God, not with your daughter, not with

your son, not even with your grandkids.

I better say amen on that and say I love you when I say that,

because some folks don't like that, but that's the way it is.

Let's move on because If we're unable to

traverse through adversity, perhaps God will carry us around it.

But it never— but never give

up or give in. Joseph's life is a testimony

of trials that happen for our good and

for God's glory. It worked out to the glory of God

and to the good of Joseph. And whether you're in a blended family,

a single family, or whatever the case may be, it's going to work

out for you because of the law of perseverance.

You're not in it alone. We're working together.

You know your place. You know your purpose. Don't forget it and

keep living for the master. And that's

what it's all about. And then adversity

Finally, it's there to perfect us.

Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders.

You will learn a lesson from problems

and issues, won't you? You'll learn how not to do it again,

and you'll learn to teach your children how to traverse around it when it comes

their way, should it come their way. God forbid,

but if it does, they'll know how to traverse it.

Because you were honest enough and demonstrated

before your children and before God and the world that

God comes first. KFC. And nothing's

gonna push you away from your sacrifice and service

to God to do the things that you need to do to

stay right with God. As Christians growing in

grace and knowledge of our Lord through the Word, we take

joys in trials and tribulations, not because of the experience of tribulation, but we rejoice

because of our declaration of dependence on God's care. I said that. The perfecting

via adversity impacts Christians' discernment.

It's obligated to continue in the righteous path.

1 Corinthians 15:58.

1 Corinthians 15:58

What must I do to receive this care? Learn the lessons of adversity.

Understand that adversity teaches humility. Understand that adversity

teaches reliance upon God. Understand that adversity

teaches the powerful need of prayer.

Adversity teaches obedience to the will of God. It is submitting to his authority

rather than our own authority. Galatians 6:7-8.

Galatians 6:7–8

Master your struggles. Rejoice in the Lord.

Rely on older Christian women and men. Learn to

forgive self and others. Study God's word regularly. Worship God

and pray regularly. Spread good news, be evangelistic. Know your place in the body.

Know your purpose in the body. Know your peace in the body.

Know to be productive in the body and persevere in the body.

I cheated, I gave you 11 instead of 10.

In the family of God, you're not alone. God cares. Let's get

together. Through trauma and drama, God really do care

for you, and so does his body, the Church of Christ.

Though loss of wealth, loss of health, God remains and he

cares, and God is what you have left.

God continues to manifest his care through his church.

Let's get together. Friends, if you're not a Christian,

I beckon you to respond. If you have needs,

respond now while together we stand and sing this song of invitation.