I appreciate y'all standing. Let's turn to the book of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel, we'll read just a couple of verses here while you're turning to 1 Samuel. When Brother Will said, turn to 1 Samuel, I said, uh-oh. Thank you, brother. Anyway, the Lord knows what we need and when we need it. Jonah was the son of Amittai. which means a son of truth. And preachers, our study is the womb. The scriptures are the seed. Prayer is the conception. And when we walk into the pulpit, we should be born or sons of this truth. That message should be so in us. If it's not in us, it's not going to get in them. And the purpose of preaching is not just the preaching. The purpose of preaching is to help the hearer. And I want you to know this morning that I really do want to help the hearer. Sometimes when we preach some tough things, it seems as though that the preacher's beating up on whoever it is that's listening. And it's just not the case. Sometimes we just got to be reminded of how far we slip. and how far we go away from that truth. And I asked the Lord this morning in my private time with the Lord that he would shake us one more time. We get one shot at raising our children. We don't get a do-over. We don't get to say, you know what? I missed out on two to five years old, so Lord, let's hit rewind, and I want to fix some things. And so I want to talk about this morning about how Eli lost his children. There's a lot of reasons, but there's three or four things I'd like to talk about. Let's read in verse, I told you to turn to 1 Samuel. I didn't give you a text yet. I just want to read some verses while you're standing. Verse number nine of chapter one, at the end of it, it says, now Eli the priest sat upon the seat by the post of the temple of the Lord. So picture the temple. Picture a easy chair sitting there by the post of the temple. You know what was out in the front yard? That's where they done the cooking. That's where they burnt those sacrifices that God's people brought. Turn to chapter number two and look at verse number 12. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial. They knew not the Lord. That's sad, ain't it? Two children, don't know God. If you read verse 13 through 17, they were still working in the ministry, but they did not know God. Sons of Belial was handling the holy things of God. While Eli sat. Now, we ain't got time to go through all this this morning, but you'll never find where Eli is ever standing. He's either laying down or he's sitting down. You'll never find Eli standing. And when God made the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple, He never put a chair in there because the priest's work was continual, supposed to be. The only priest that was supposed to sit down was the one where the Lord Jesus came and gave Himself an offering forever, settled the debt between God and man. And He's seated at the right hand of the Father. It's a done deal. If you're not saved, it's not God's fault. It's your fault. If you're not saved, it's your fault. You're not trusting the sacrifice that God has already given. Amen. And so let's read another verse or two here, verse 22. Now, Eli was very old. and heard all that his sons did in Israel and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Where did his sons lay with women? At the door. Where's Eli propped up? At the post of the door. Verse number 23, and he said unto them, why do you such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Verse 24, nay my sons, for it is no good report that I hear You make the Lord's people to transgress. Father, please help me to say what needs to be said for the next few minutes. I pray God that you'd help me to help your people in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, you can be seated. I appreciate you staying reverent to God's Word. I want to just jump right in this. Brother John's given me just a little bit of time here, and I want to do well with it, but I really want you to focus in on what I'm about to say. Number one, Eli lost his children because he was removed or had no regard for their life. Eli was seated at the post of the door. His children were the ones out there that they had the seething pot. In other words, the people of God would bring their meat, their sacrifice, to the temple for it to be put on that altar, and it was to be burned to fat. God will tell you how to cook your steaks if you'll read the Bible. And you sear that fat, and you take it off of there, and it's done. The priest was even took care of by that meat, that right shoulder and that breast. The best part of the offering was to go to the man of God, the best part of it. And so what they were doing was before it ever hit the altar, in other words, before the meat ever touched the fire, in other words, what they were doing, they were reaching in and taking that meat. And if you look down there in verses 13 through 17 in chapter number 2, the Bible says that the people got to where they abhorred the offering of the Lord because they knew that they were working for it, and they were bringing that, and they were trying to make their sacrifice to God, but it was actually never making it to that altar, and so they got to that place where they're like, what's the use? It's never touching the fire, and they knew what the law was, but those boys were stealing that meat and taking it for their own consumption. In other words, they were dipping into the kitty. In other words, if we put that in New Testament terms, if you had, in a New Testament church, it would be like, that the preacher's kids was the ones taking up the offering and never making it to the bank and going into the account, they were stealing the money. And that's exactly what was going on down there at Eli's Baptist Church, or whatever we want to call that. And so Eli lost his children because he was removed from their life. And I don't know about you, but I found it strange that in all three of these verses that I read to you there, verse 22 says, Now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto Israel. Verse 23 says, And he said unto them, Why do you such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. And verse 24, Nay, my sons, for it is no good report I hear that I hear. So three times in three verses, daddy was hearing about what his sons was doing. And I'm thinking to myself, how is it that he's hearing about it? but he's not looking at it. Now, some people might make the correlation that he had an eye problem, and you could see that. You know the story. You know chapter number 3, verse number 2. And it came to pass that at that time when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim." It didn't say that he was blind. It said his eyes began to wax dim. But if you skip over the page there to chapter number 4 and verse number 13, way later on, as a matter of fact, he's 98 years old when this happens. This is just before his sons die. It says there in verse 13, and when he came, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside, watching, so he was not blind, he could still watch, he could still see, but his eyes began to wax dim, but then it says down in chapter number 4 and verse number 15, now Eli was 90 and 8 years old and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. So that's the progression. Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. That's always in God's economy, Old Testament and New. You can even find this in Romans chapter number 1. That deceiving and being deceived, that's God's economy. If you are a liar, the by-product of you lying is, then you'll be deceived yourself. When you deceive somebody else, in all actuality what God's doing is you're trying to darken somebody else's knowledge, but God's actually darkening your knowledge. The old divines and the old rabbis had a statement, had a saying, and they would say, God's answer for sin is sin. If you don't want to retain God in your knowledge, that's fine. You don't have to do that. But the byproduct of that is God will give you over to a vile affection. If you want something vile, then God will flood your heart with vile affections. He'll give you more of an appetite or a taste for what you want. And that's exactly what was going on in the lives of his children. And he's sitting there, his eyes are dim, but he's not blind. He can still see and he can still watch. And what was going on in Eli's life was he was choosing to turn a blind eye to what was going on in his own home. Now, Brother John said he wants me to deal, wants us preachers to deal with young people, and I'm glad that he does, but I want to tell you something. I think there could be some young people in this place that could really flourish if a mom and a dad would get right with God. I'm not your enemy. I'm not your enemy. But there's some moms and dads that needs to make things right with God themselves, and they need to lead their children. They need to quit turning a blind eye to their children. I'm going to tell you something. Kids need to be told no. Not just for bad things, but every once in a while for no reason at all, kids need to be told no, even on something that you'd really like to give them, and it wouldn't hurt them to have it, just to see what their response is. You say that's mean. You say that's cruel. That's what God done. He put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not in the corner of the garden, not in a closet. He didn't child-proof the garden. He put that in the midst of the garden so that they could look at it every single day. And He simply said, look at what all I've given you. You may freely eat of every tree in this garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, I mean, why would you not give your children good things? So that you can find out where their heart's at, and that's exactly what needs to be done in your children's lives. Sometimes you just need to say no, and you don't have to give them an excuse. You don't have to hang your head for being a parent. You don't have to hang your head for having authority in their life, and I see some parents that it's almost like they're ashamed when they have to tell their children no about something. You are the parent. You are the God-given authority in their life. You're supposed to say no. It lets them know where they are. It lets you know where they are. And so here's exactly what he done. He done like a lot of parents do in our day. The answer to his children and keeping them from being rebellious, they just quit telling them no. I watch children all the time, and I watch the interaction with the parents. The dad will say, now quit doing that, son. And they keep doing it. And so instead of taking them out there and doing what you're supposed to do to fix that and correct that, they start having an argument with their child. You should never have an argument with your child. When you say no, here's what they do. Whenever they realize, you can see it on the parent's face, that whenever they realize that the kid's not gonna do anything, then they do this. They just kind of turn their back and try to keep the conversation, keep the kid pushed back where they're not doing what, trying to do, and finally they say, well, I gotta go, I gotta. You know, I got something I got to do, and they lead them out of there. And let me tell you something. When I preached what I preached about child training when my kids was one, two, three years old, I want to tell you something. I actually had people that came to me, Brother Brown, and they made the statement, you won't do that when they're 15, 16 years old. Sarah's 20. Sarah will be 20 in November. Aaron's 18. And I'm still preaching this. Whether they do right, whether I do right, the Bible is right. Amen? And they almost said it like they wanted my children to fail so they could say, see, I told you so. What kind of a spirit is that? I don't want my children to fail. And I'm preaching this today because I don't want your children to fail either. I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but I love these young people around here. Hey, I hang out with these young people. I interact with these young people. And it's not for a facade. It's not for a show. I want them to be successful. They are the generation that will be preaching and singing with my grandbabies. I want you to succeed. Amen? And I found it strange that he said he heard, he heard. And notice this, not only did he hear, but in verse number 22, all Israel, everybody's seen it. Everybody saw what was going on with the children of Eli. And not only did everybody see, but everybody was telling him. How did he hear it if people wasn't coming and saying, don't you realize what your children's doing? Hey, have you ever had somebody that lovingly came to you and said, I need to talk to you about your child? You know what goes on in our day? Hey, when I was growing up, if I got a spanking down at the schoolhouse, I would not go home and tell my daddy that I got a spanking at the schoolhouse. Cause I'd have got another spanking at my house. Now kids go home, I don't even know if they do that anymore, but now kids go home and say, the teacher got on to me, and the parents will get in the car and go down there and stick their finger in the face of the teacher and tell them that what they're doing's wrong getting on to their little Johnny. Their little Johnny's a rebel, and people's trying to tell them that their little Johnny's a rebel, and instead of getting mad at the children and taking care of business at the house, they want to make their child a victim, and they'll be a victim the rest of their life. Everybody's got the victim mentality now. Everybody that jumps church, everybody that jumps ship, everybody that goes down the road a little ways, everybody's a victim in our day. I ought to tell you something. It's not that you're a victim. It is your problem. You need to face it. You need to deal with it. God gave you those children, not the state, not grandma, not grandpa, not the pastor, not the nursery worker. God gave those children to you. Amen? And everybody could see it. Look at verse 23. He said unto them, why do you such things? He's talking to his kids. I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Two verses right in a row. I'm hearing it. I'm hearing it. I'm hearing it. And I'm standing up here telling you one more time, I'm not your enemy, but I do watch people. It's my job to stand at the door of Faith Baptist Church and watch as missionaries come in with their kids and watch how they treat their wives. They ain't gonna treat their wife right in my church. They ain't gonna treat their wife right on the mission field. Your wife ain't a pack mule. Your wife ain't a squaw. Your wife is your bride, and you better be taking care of your wife. I'm telling you, it means something how that that woman is treated. If you come to Faith Magnus Church and want support, and you can't even help your wife, you might as well go to a Southern Magnus outfit. Amen? Letting that woman drag them kids, three or four of them, five, six of them on your hip, and you up there with your Bible bouncing in. Hey, preacher, how's it going? She's out there dragging them babies. See, got mud all over her dress. You say, you trying to hurt me? No, I'm trying to help you. It ain't just me that sees it, it's everybody else that sees it. It's all Israel that sees it. And I'm trying to tell you, you need to hear about it. You've got a choice once you hear what's wrong. Amen? Most of the time, parents are just truly busy. They're just not busy about fatherly business. I can hear it right now. I can sit down here and we can go through the list. I work 12 hours a day. You know why you work 12 hours a day? I ain't got time for all this child's play. I ain't got time for what you're preaching. You know why you don't? Because you got a boat you got to pay for. You got an extra car you got to pay for. You got to remodel your kitchen so you can keep up with the guy down the road. You got to buy a new hunting rifle. You got to buy a new iPad. You got to have an iPhone 11. And in a few months you have to have an iPhone 12. You know I'm telling it right. You got one responsibility. We are children. Are your children more important than a hunting rifle? Amen. We'd sit in the dark, leave the power off before I'd sell my children out. There's people selling their children for a whole lot. I don't have time to child train. I don't have time to build that relationship. You do. You just choose not to. Mom and dad, it's more important to get your children to the Lord than it is for you to have the fancy gadgets. We live in the land of idolatry. You know that. I don't even know why the church is even posting stuff about football and baseball and basketball and all that. Why are you watching that junk anyway? They hate God. They ain't teaching your children nothing. They're not helping your home. You know good and well you get more passion over a ballgame than you do a church service. Your children will get up and sing. They'll get in the youth choir and you'll sit back there and you'll tap your foot and smile. I'm so proud of my child. And you go to ballgame and act like a nut. That's right. I want to be more excited about my children doing something for Jesus Christ, sitting under this tent. Hey, I was sitting here the other night, I took a lap. You know why I took a lap? I took a lap on purpose. Brother Gary Crisp preached for us on Sunday night. Here's some of my church people. You can ask him, say, why don't you worship God on purpose? I was sitting here, and I thought, my wife's in here, my son's in here, my daughter's in here. Three months ago, we didn't even know if we was ever going to get to have another camp meeting. I said, praise God, I'm going to worship on purpose. Hallelujah. I'm gonna do it on purpose. I tell you, Daddy, you need to set your phone down. I've seen it this week a hundred times. I understand, I like to be around my friends, I do. I've seen it a hundred times. Daddy, just a minute, son, just a minute. Daddy, hold on, son, I'm talking. Daddy, hold on, son, I'm busy. Daddy, hold on, son, I'm on the phone. One of these days, you're gonna set that telephone down. And you're gonna look back and say, okay, we're gonna play. Where'd you go, son? I got my own friends. I got my own hobbies. I got my own sin. I'm having a good time what I'm doing. I don't need you no more, Dad. I don't know how God does this, but God put it in a son's heart to love his daddy. It don't matter if he's a drunk. It don't matter if he's vile and filthy. God gave you, daddies, the greatest gift. Your son and your daughter thinks you're the greatest, strongest person on planet Earth, and you're not. But God put it in them. And it's up to you what you do with it. You should take advantage of that, dad. If you got a two-year-old that still throw me up in the air, bounce me on your knee, let's tickle fight, let's play, I'm gonna tell you something, you better take advantage of that. Before you know, you're gonna blink your eyes about three times and they ain't gonna care nothing about you if you ain't cared nothing about them. Turn that junk off. Quit going on family vacations. Quit buying them toys. You're trying to satisfy them with something. Hey, let me tell you something, the peace that they really need is knowing they got a loving mama and a loving daddy. I can still hear Brother Marion Atkinson's voice. I told him this on the way in. I was in my private time with the Lord, and God reminded me of the very first time. I keep referring to this message that he preached on the home 22, 23 years ago now, because it's still in my mind, and I'm not mocking him. I'm not making fun, but I can still hear Brother Marion. This is what he said. He said, young ladies, God didn't call you to be no model. God called you to be a mama. That burned deep down in my heart. I didn't want my wife going out and having a career and having a bunch of letters after her name. I wanted my wife to be a mama. There's no higher calling on this planet for a woman than to be a mother. We didn't let our children play with Barbie dolls and get them sensualized and sexualized. We let them play with baby dolls so they'd grow up and know how to be a mama. I don't care if it's quiet. I can preach whether it's quiet or not. Come home from work. Find out something about your children. Sell that junk out of your yard. Turn that stuff off. You don't need all that stuff. Save that money. Turn that stuff off and spend time with your family. They don't need another trip to the zoo, mama. They don't need another trip to the amusement park. They don't need another toy for the toy box. You cannot buy their love. They need you to look them in the eyeball in the morning. They need you to sit with them and talk with them and comfort them, give them peace. They need to have a relationship with you and you with them so that when they are scared, when they do run up on these things that causes them fear, they don't know what to do, that your children will actually trust you enough to say, who should I marry? What should I look for in this? What should I look for in that? I'm telling you, most of the church kids, here's how they're running their life. They're doing it just like the world. We call it courting, but it's just dating for Christians. You know that's right. They don't trust their mama. They talk to their friends about it. They don't talk to their daddy about it. They talk to their friends about it. They don't talk to their mother about it. They don't talk to their pastor and pastor's wife about it. Hey, if you ain't sought no counsel from mom, dad, and your preacher, let me tell you something. You have missed the greatest advantage that you could ever have. There's times that your preacher cares more about your spiritual life than you do. Those moms can't even take their children to the store. I know. I know families, they can't even take their children to a restaurant because of the way they act. They have to drop them off somewhere so they can go to a restaurant and actually sit in peace. It don't have to be that. I'm not your enemy. I'm telling you, it does not have to be that way. It can be different. It's supposed to be different. They have to get somebody to watch their kids so they can go to the grocery store so that they don't terrorize everybody in the grocery store. You're not gonna like this one, we'll say it. If you don't like being around them, you got more grace for them than anybody. I promise you everybody else has done. I'm not trying to be mean. You say, well, I don't understand. Why are you saying all this? You're upsetting me. I'm trying to give you hope. It does not have to be that way. There is hope. You can make the changes. You say, but it'll cost me. You better believe it'll cost you. I remember when Hillary Clinton wrote that book, it takes a village. No, it takes a mama and a daddy and a Bible and the Holy Ghost. Eli had every opportunity to see what his children were doing, but instead of seeing what his children were doing, he overlooked it. He turned a blind eye on purpose. Number two, he would not restrain them. Not only was he removed and had no regard for the life, but he would not restrain his children. I want you to turn to 2 Samuel, I'm sorry, 1 Samuel 3, look at verse 11. Look real close. 1 Samuel 3, 11, and the Lord said to Samuel, behold, I will do a thing in Israel. at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle. I hope you understand what's being said right here. The nation is hanging in the balance. First Samuel's a transition book. The nation's hanging in the balance. And here's what God said. The Lord said it to Samuel. God's talking to a child because he can't talk to a man. Verse 12, in that day I will perform against Eli. Now, that's strong language, and I'm going to say this too before you think that maybe somehow Eli wasn't where he was supposed to be. If you turn to 1 Samuel 14, 3, don't do that, but the Bible calls Eli the Lord's priest. Eli is the Lord's priest. But he ain't doing right. And here's what 1 Samuel 3, 12 says, in that day I will perform a thing against Eli, all the things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin, I will also make an end, for I have told him. Uh-oh, that's different now. Now he knows. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth. Because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not. The whole nation and his house was hanging in the balance because the man of God, the priest in Israel, decided he wasn't going to simply this. This is what God said. I didn't write it. I just read it to you. Because he wouldn't restrain them. Because you won't restrain your children I'm all the nation of Israel. Their ears are going to tingle when I bring my judgment. He says, and therefore have I sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. God had already drawn the line. Because you would not, I will not. I'm not turning back. No quarter. No hope. I've settled it, God said. I'm judging now. Let me give you some verses and then I'll sit down. Proverbs 20, 11 says, even a child is known by his doings. Whether his work be pure, whether it be right. You don't have to wait until they can talk before you can figure. You know, a mama that spends enough time, a daddy that spends enough time with a child, if they can't even talk yet, you can tell the difference between a rebellious cry or a needy cry. You say, I can't tell the difference because you ain't spent enough time with them. Proverbs 22.6, train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Train up literally means, if you look at that train up in a dictionary, it means to dedicate or inaugurate. And I took that word and I went to the place of first mention. It's only used five times in the Bible. And basically what it's saying over there in Deuteronomy 20, verse number 5, God's given laws about going to war, and He said, talks about how that everybody should go out, all the men should go out and fight, but He made this one statement, He said, The officers shall speak unto the people, saying, in verse 5, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated, or trained it up? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. The teaching here is that when a nation is at war, there's such an urgency and there's such a responsibility to fight for your country. But if you've not taken care of business at your own house, go back home and take care of business at home first. You say, how important is that? I'll tell you how important it is. The nation was in a mess here. The whole nation was in a mess because Eli had not took care of his home first. And that translates over into the New Testament where the Bible says that the man of God must be blameless, the husband of one wife. It also says it's a qualification for a preacher that one that ruleth well his own house. having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Must have a good report of them that are without. Not only must it be seen at the church house, but the world and the community that you live in ought to be able to say, I may not like the church, I may not like the Bible, I may not like their God or their doctrine, but one thing's for sure, he's running his house right and his children are not a bunch of rebellious thugs in the neighborhood. Did you know that's just as important as must be the husband of one wife? Amen. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Proverbs 29, 15, the rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left himself bringeth his mother to shame. You know what? I'll tell you what I'm seeing. There's rod. without reproof. I spanked my child. I got to be careful. I don't want to get too personal, but I'm just going to go ahead and say it because I've heard it time and time again. I'm sure you've heard it too. Preacher, you just don't understand. I spank them and it just don't do no good. Oh, okay, so God's wrong. I guess God told a lie then. The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left himself bringing his mother's shame. I believe that, don't you? Just because you whip your children don't mean they're going to do right. If you whip your children, if you give them the rod and you never give them any reproof, then what you're going to make, what you are is a bully. Daddy, mama, you're a bully. You know why there's little kids that are bullies? Because there's a parent at home that bullies them. Amen? Rod and reproof give wisdom. And then I see the other side of this thing. Sometimes there's reproof, but there's never a rod. Now don't do that no more. Now don't do that no more. Now don't do that no more. And reproof and reproof. Oh, you are, you're teaching your children that there's no penalty for sin. And one day your children, I didn't write the book, but I'm preaching the book. One day your children could lift their eyes in hell because you've taught them from a little bitty child on up that there's no real penalty for sin, that there's no corporal punishment. What you're saying is, there's no fire in hell. God's just gonna say, don't do that. No, no, no, no, and there's never a penalty. But if you'll teach your children from little on up that you give them rules, that's a reproof, and there's a penalty, there's a rod if that reproof is not heeded, and you teach them there's a penalty for sin, then one day there'll be a man of God stand up and say there's a heaven, there's a hell, there's a sacrifice, and Jesus took that punishment, and if you want to be saved, repeat and believe that gospel, trust Him, and let me tell you something, it'll save their soul from hell. That's what it says. That little rod, that little whip and stick, I believed it, brother. I trusted that if I'd done what God said to do with it, that I'd surround my children with hours upon hours of fellowship and love and laughter. but when there was a cross of the rules and the laws in the home, if I'd take that rod and I'd minister that rod and I'd explain to them, you have broke the rules, you've went against authority and now it's time to pay, then guess what? By the time they're four or five years old, they won't even know why they obey. God fixed it where kids don't remember back four, you know what that is? That's grace. God gave you about four or five years in a child's life that you could spank them and they won't even look back and remember it. I'm telling you God's so good. God done that. Reproof alone makes a fool. The rod alone makes a fool, but the rod and reproof give wisdom. By the truth, sell it not. Also, wisdom and instruction and understanding. The Father, listen, some of y'all that struggle, I'm not your enemy, I done said that. I'm not trying to hurt you, but listen to me right here. Mama, are you struggling? You ain't gotta nod your head or raise your hand, but Mama, are you struggling? Would you like to have peace in your home? Would you like to have harmony? Let me give you what the Bible says. By the truth, sell it not, also wisdom and instruction. Understand, the father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice. And he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad. And she that bear thee shall rejoice. My son, give me thine heart. and let thine eyes observe my ways. And this is why we got so many children that don't behave from the pulpit to the pew, because they are observing your ways. Daddy, if you're selfish, you're not gonna raise an unselfish son. Daddy, if you're mean, you're not gonna raise anything but a mean son. If you're hateful, Daddy, however you talk to your wife, that's how your son's gonna talk to his wife. You young people, let me give you a hint. This is a hint. Before you marry anybody, don't you just look at him or her with them googly eyes. You better look at his or her mama. You better look at his or her daddy. You better watch how they interact with each other. You better watch how they interact with other people. If that family's always got trouble with other families, just say, Lord, that's enough of a warning sign for me. If they can't get along with nobody else, they're not gonna all of a sudden magically start getting along with you. Is that family in other people's business? Boy, I'm losing friends quick, ain't I? I'm losing friends. If that family's always got, I mean, if they're critical, you sit around, they get critical of everybody around them. Won't be long, they'll be critical of your house, too. Amen. Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest. Rest. That's what I like. I like words like glad, rejoice, joy. I like them kind of words, don't you? Correct thy son. Not only that, two other things. He had resigned. Eli had given up. Eli, it says there in chapter number two, verse 29, it says, and they hearken not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them. And then lastly, he would not repent. If you notice down there in verse number 25, why kick yet my sacrifice at the time of my offering when I have a command in my habitation and honors thy sons above me? Somewhere in Eli's life he come to the conclusion, I know what's going on, I see it, I'm hearing it, I know what's going on, but here's what I'm gonna do. He finally gave in and said, you know what, I'm just gonna do what my sons are doing and he got in on stealing the meat, he got in on it. In other words, the daddy didn't run the children, the children influenced the daddy. Did you know there's a lot of preachers that's out of God's will right now because their children got out of God's will? Instead of the man of God saying, I'm gonna stay firm, I don't like that they're going that way, some of my heroes have done this, I'm not beating up and I'm not throwing stones. I'm really not. With some of the people that helped me to understand this old time way, they went out that way because they were following a child. You can never follow a child. The father had to stay home for the child to have a place to come back to. Somebody's gotta stay and hold the fort and give a place for somebody to come back to. And this is what blew my mind. You see there in those last, in chapter two, verse 27, down through verse number 30, Eli was unrepentant and he gave up and took sides with his children. I'm sorry, chapter four at the end of those verses. Eli had no regard for his children. Phenahaz had no regard for his wife. Phenahaz's wife was with child. Look at verse number 20, chapter four, verse 20. And about the time of her death, the women that stood by her said unto her, fear not, for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. Regard it what? She'd just had a baby. She had a father-in-law that didn't regard his children. Had a husband that didn't regard her. So when she had a child, it's like this. You know why it said Ichabod? Because Ichabod had done been written here. And Ichabod had done been written here. There was no glory in the father. There'll be no glory in the children. And there'll be no glory in the grandchildren. Somebody somewhere's got to stop and say, we got to bring glory in our home. You gotta start regarding what God's given us. I'm done, Rogelio.